Reports and briefs

The Connecticut Healthcare Affordability Index (CHAI) has been updated to reflect 2022 data. The University of Washington School of Social Work, Center for Women’s Welfare first developed CHAI in 2019 on behalf of Connecticut’s Office of Health Strategy, Office of the State Comptroller and the Connecticut Health Foundation. The index helps consumers, policymakers and state officials assess the impact of healthcare costs on families.
 
The CHAI Summary Report 2024 looks at how healthcare affordability changed in Connecticut between 2019 and 2022, highlighting the challenges families face and the factors influencing their ability to access and afford the high cost of healthcare.
 

Key Findings

• In 2022, over a quarter of working-age households in Connecticut couldn’t afford basic necessities like healthcare, housing, childcare, food, and transportation. This number is worse than in 2019 as wages have not kept up with the high cost of healthcare, housing, and childcare.
• Families with different types of health insurance had different experiences. For example, 13.8% of households with insurance through their job could not afford basic needs compared to 27.8% of households who bought insurance on the individual market, and 69.8% of households that were eligible for Medicaid.
• Fewer households had unaffordable healthcare expenses in 2022 compared to 2019. This change was not spread evenly across insurance types. Families covered by employer-sponsored health insurance saw costs rise. By contrast, those buying individual-market coverage saw lower premiums and benefited from more assistance with their premium costs from a tax credit that was part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). That tax credit is set to expire in 2025.

The Covered Connecticut Program

The Covered Connecticut Program went into effect July 1st, 2021 and expands the number of Connecticut residents eligible for no cost health insurance coverage. Medicaid eligibility for parents/caretakers ends at 160% of the Federal Poverty Level. The Covered Connecticut Program provides no cost health insurance through Access Health CT for parents/caregivers, and their dependents, if they are not eligible for Medicaid but are below 175% of the federal poverty guidelines. Additionally, starting after July 1st 2022, Covered Connecticut will be available for all adults with income below 175% of the federal poverty guidelines.

This memo addresses the estimated impact that the Covered Connecticut Program has on healthcare affordability as defined by the Connecticut Healthcare Affordability Index (CHAI).

Read about the impact the Covered Connecticut Program has on healthcare affordability.