State lawmakers discuss future of Medicaid in Connecticut
More than 900,000 people in Connecticut rely on Medicaid.
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The future of Medicaid has been a hot topic in Connecticut, and state lawmakers held roundtable Wednesday on its future.
More than 900,000 people in Connecticut rely on Medicaid. State leaders gathered at the Connecticut Institute for Communities in Danbury to hear from leaders of state agencies about how cuts to Medicaid are going to hurt them.
State Comptroller Sean Scanlon, Rep. Jahana Hayes and Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves joined state legislators, providers and advocates to assess the impacts of cuts and explored solutions to safeguard Medicaid coverage.
One in five Americans are on Medicaid. With the passage of federal legislation necessitating $880 billion in budget cuts, potential Medicaid cuts threaten to disrupt health care access for millions across the country.
"Children in this district is a big concern for me because over 50% of children get all of their health care through Husky care. And if we're not doing preventative treatments, I mean behavioral health, mental health, addiction and harm reduction services are primarily reimbursed through Medicaid," says Hayes.
"The state of Connecticut got $6 billion of funding from Medicaid from the federal government in the last fiscal year, and this is money that we use help insure that 1 million of the most vulnerable people in our society, seniors in nursing homes, young kids, disabled individuals, get the health care they need and deserve," said Scanlon.
Some state health organizations say the money they usually receive on Monday from the federal portal has not been received. State Sen. Julie Kushner says she hopes Connecticut's wealth might be able to keep some of these programs going.
