Connecticut adults 19 to 64 who have HUSKY D will have to prove every month that they work, train, volunteer or study, and they will renew coverage every six months instead of once a year. A HUSKY D fact sheet from UConn Health says the changes begin January 1, 2027. The monthly proof is either 80 hours of activity or at least $580 in earnings.
The rules reach people who are 19 to 64, have HUSKY D, are able to work and do not qualify for a medical frailty exemption. They also reach only those who are not a parent or caretaker relative of a child under 14 or of a disabled person. Anyone on HUSKY A, B or C is outside the new rules.
What changed this year: Social Security and Medicare change every year, and nobody sends you a memo. The Retirement Money Brief breaks down what changed and what to do. Bonus when you subscribe: our Medicaid Renewal Checklist.
Get the Brief and the Medicaid checklist →
We may earn a commission from links on this page.
Three ways to pass the monthly test
Each month, a member has to show proof of one of three things. Working and earning at least $580 a month is one. Doing 80 hours a month of work, job training, or community service or volunteer work is another. Enrollment in school at least half-time is the third.
The $580 figure is not a Connecticut invention. The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) says its interim final rule sets the income option at the federal minimum wage times 80 hours, which comes to $580 a month in 2026. The same rule lets hours from work, service and work programs be added together.
The fact sheet says more detail on what counts and how to report is coming soon. That leaves a gap for anyone who mixes a few shifts with volunteering. Until the state publishes its reporting method, nobody can say how those hours will be logged or by what day each month.
Who is exempt, from Medicare to hospital stays
The fact sheet lists who is exempt. Parents and caretaker relatives of a child under 14 are out, as are family caregivers of someone with a disability. So is anyone pregnant or pregnant within the last 12 months, and so is a former foster care youth under 26.
American Indians and Alaska Natives are exempt. So are veterans with a 100 percent schedular or total disability individual unemployability rating from the VA, and anyone who has Medicare Part A or B. People who were in jail or prison in the 90 days before applying or renewing are also exempt.
The list continues with anyone recently an inpatient in a hospital or nursing facility, people in an approved drug or alcohol treatment program, and those who are medically frail and unable to work. Members who travel outside their community for medical care for themselves or a dependent are covered too. The Department of Social Services may ask members to show an exemption applies.
The list also includes people who already meet the work rules for Temporary Family Assistance (TFA), the family cash program. It names members of a SNAP household who are not exempt from SNAP work rules as well. Anyone in either group should ask DSS how the two sets of rules fit together, because the fact sheet gives no further detail.
Renewal every six months changes the calendar
Under the fact sheet, members will renew coverage every 6 months. Twice as many renewals means twice as many chances for a missed letter to end coverage. It also means the work proof comes up more often than most members are used to.
Timing differs for new members. Someone who applies in 2026 will not have to meet the work rules at application, but may need to meet them at the 2027 renewal. The first renewal after January 1 is where the proof is likely to be asked for.
Notices will arrive by mail, email or text
The Department of Social Services (DSS) says it will send information later this year to people who must report. Notice will come by mail, email or text message. The fact sheet asks members to update contact information at Portal.ct.gov/UpdateUsDSS or by calling Access Health CT at 1-855-805-4325.
DSS also asks members to save its contact points, so a real notice is not mistaken for spam. Texts come from short codes 60302 and 648731, and the phone line is 1-855-626-6632. Free local help is available through 2-1-1 and at cafca.org/agencies.
Connecticut also runs a HUSKY D work rules pre-screener online. The fact sheet points to it as a first stop for anyone unsure whether the rules apply.
Federal rules add a safety valve. CMS says that when a state cannot verify compliance, it must send a notice of noncompliance and give the person 30 calendar days to show compliance or an exemption. The fact sheet does not describe Connecticut’s own deadlines, and people who are disenrolled under the federal rule may reapply at any time.
For most households the open item is simple: whether DSS holds a working address, phone number and email for each adult on HUSKY D. A notice sent to an old number starts the clock on someone who never saw it.
Does the state have the right address for HUSKY D members?
A HUSKY D member who misses a notice, or a six-month renewal, can lose coverage over paperwork alone. Proof of 80 hours or $580 has to be in hand when the letter comes, and the reporting rules are not yet published.
The SNAP & Medicaid Renewal Organizer includes a renewal and reporting calendar and a section on the new Medicaid work requirement and who is exempt. It also covers the 90-day window after coverage is dropped, with a Connecticut state pack among its 51.
Get the renewal calendar and Medicaid work-rule organizer for HUSKY D →
More Financial Reading
- 21 Ways to Stretch a $2,087 Social Security Check
- 15 Places to Find Your Share of the $4.25 Billion States Give Back
- 15 Ways Retirees Are Tapping a Record $14.9 Trillion in Home Equity
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
