Children under the age of 12 whose parents meet the eligible income limits are eligible for Medicaid compensation regardless of their immigrant status after January 1st.
The state budget adopted by the House of Representatives and the Senate on Tuesday included an extension of the Medicaid program known as Husky in Connecticut. Last year, MPs launched a program for children under the age of eight from households earning up to 201% of federal poverty levels ($ 55,778 for a family of four), regardless of immigrant status. Children in households earning 201% to 325% of federal poverty levels are also eligible, but are subject to asset testing.
This year, MPs will expand the pool to children under the age of 12, allowing insured children of that age group to stay insured until the age of 19. Children over the age of 12 on January 1st are not eligible.
Congressmen have secured $ 400,000 for this year’s expansion.
“The fact that we were able to include this in our budget shows the power of our community,” said Carolina Bortolleto, a volunteer at the HUSKY for Immigrants Coalition and co-founder of the Connecticut Student for a Dream. I am. “And it shows that our MPs know that this was the right thing to do.”
Bortolleto helped organize a rally day outside the State Capitol this spring, bringing together undocumented residents, healthcare professionals, high school students, supporters, and more to call for an expansion of the Medicaid program. ..
Proponents wanted Congress to extend the program to children under the age of 18 this year, regardless of immigration conditions, but the bill to do so has moved beyond the Human Services Commission. did not. It was defeated in a 10-10 tie vote, with three of all Republicans and the 13 Democrats of the Commission voting against it.
Some lawmakers expressed concern that the expansion was premature due to lack of information on the number of residents covered by the program and the cost of the state.
After the bill died, lawmakers created a more modest expansion of Husky on the state budget. Although the financial commitment was small, the move offended some representatives who discussed the House budget.
“The bill failed in human services. Voting on both sides of the aisle failed and we’re moving it forward,” R-Winstead Rep. Jay Case said in a House debate. Said. “If something goes wrong on the committee, is that the right process?” OK, just budget. “That’s where I’m having problems. “
Words from failed invoices and other proposals can end up in the budget implementer, even if the proposal has only a nominal connection to the budget.
Bortolleto said she and others will continue to advocate for further expansion of Medicaid. She hopes that all residents, regardless of age or immigration status, will eventually qualify.
“Health care is a human right, so we are re-committed to the fight. No one should be denied health care (chance of survival) because of their immigrant status, regardless of age.” She said.
Hundreds of people testified about the proposal and wrote to lawmakers this spring. Many supported the expansion of the Medicaid program.
“My son is a US citizen, but my husband and I don’t have husky or other health insurance because we are immigrants,” resident Sandra Aguilar wrote to a member of parliament. rice field. “Because we both need dental treatment, getting health insurance is a big help for us … I had to spend $ 300 to fix my teeth to a private dentist. It took a long time to fix my teeth because $ 300 was too much for my family and we couldn’t afford it.
“My husband was pre-diabetic and couldn’t get the medical care he needed because all medical appointments cost money to affect our finances.”
Carina Flores, a new UK resident and student at Capital Community College, said her parents were uninsured and had difficulty accessing healthcare.
“Coming from a Hispanic family, I directly witnessed the hardships my parents had to experience just to get medical assistance,” she testified. “Sometimes I didn’t go to the clinic for a medical examination because I had low income and I didn’t have health insurance.”
“My mother was first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes when I was 18 years old, a senior in high school. Unfortunately, she didn’t have health insurance, so she went to see medicine and a doctor. It was very difficult to pay, so I had to spend extra time helping her, “Flores said. “I don’t know when and why I get sick …. We all deserve to have a source of medical assistance. Immigration status does not determine how human we are. . “
Jay Sicklick, Deputy Director of the Center for Children’s Advocacy, called this year’s expansion “progress.” Analysts predict that opening HUSKY to children under the age of 12 will add 1,020 children to the program next year and 2,750 by 2024.
“You have to start somewhere, and the starting point is [children] I think there has been some progress under the age of 12, “says Sicklick. “In a perfect world, you’ll find that insuring an entire cohort of individuals up to the age of 19 will be the main focus … but after all, some progress is better than no progress next year and other futures. To … we need to work hard so that no one is left behind. “
