Hundreds of immigrants lawfully present in Connecticut are slated to lose their Medicare coverage by January, the latest federal cutback that’s spurred some lawmakers and advocates here to call for state intervention. The cutback affects lawfully present immigrants who had been eligible for the federal medical insurance program if they met certain work history, disability or age requirements.
Federal Budget Reconciliation Measure
A provision in the 2025 federal budget reconciliation measure, commonly referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act or House Resolution 1, limited eligibility to green card holders and certain immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Micronesia, Palau and the Marshall Islands. Maggie Mitchell Salem, executive director of Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services, or IRIS, a New Haven-based nonprofit, criticized the move, saying it creates very real harm for individuals and families in the state of Connecticut and across the country.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated that roughly 100,000 individuals nationally would lose Medicare coverage because of this provision. Connecticut contains 1% to 1.1% of the health insurance program’s caseload, which would translate into 1,000 to 1,100 lawfully present immigrants in the state slated to lose coverage.
Potential Impact on Connecticut Hospitals
Sen. Saud Anwar, D-South Windsor, and Rep. Cristin McCarthy Vahey, D-Fairfield, co-chairs of the General Assembly’s Public Health Committee, said there could be a measurable impact on Connecticut’s hospitals and federally qualified health centers, which already are under financial strain. Those that cannot afford healthcare not only seek free service through hospitals and health centers but also tend to wait until minor health conditions become severe, Anwar said.
The Connecticut Hospital Association wrote in a statement that hospitals are deeply concerned that new federal policies restricting access to Medicaid and Medicare, including changes affecting immigrant populations, as well as the loss of Affordable Care Act subsidies, will leave more people uninsured and increase uncompensated care.
Gov. Ned Lamont and the legislature have set aside $550 million from past state budget surpluses to mitigate cuts to federal healthcare, social and other programs. Lamont’s budget office reported last month that more than $263 million remained in the fund. However, some legislators are expected to recommend tapping the fund to help many groups, including low- and moderate-income families who’ve lost federal subsidies to buy health insurance.
Original reporting: The Connecticut Mirror — read the source article.
