Section 17b-597 - [Effective 4/1/2025] Working persons with disabilities program. Eligibility. Regulations(a) The Department of Social Services shall establish and implement a working persons with disabilities program to provide medical assistance as authorized under 42 USC 1396a(a)(10)(A)(ii), as amended from time to time, to persons who are disabled and regularly employed.(b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall amend the Medicaid state plan to allow persons specified in subsection (a) of this section to qualify for medical assistance. The amendment shall include the following requirements: (1) That the person be engaged in a substantial and reasonable work effort as determined by the commissioner and as permitted by federal law and have an annual adjusted gross income, as defined in Section 62 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as amended from time to time, of not more than eighty-five thousand dollars per year; (2) a disregard of all countable income up to two hundred per cent of the federal poverty level; (3) for an unmarried person, an asset limit of twenty thousand dollars, and for a married couple, an asset limit of thirty thousand dollars; (4) a disregard of any retirement and medical savings accounts established pursuant to 26 USC 220 and held by either the person or the person's spouse; (5) a disregard of any moneys in accounts designated by the person or the person's spouse for the purpose of purchasing goods or services that will increase the employability of such person, subject to approval by the commissioner; (6) a disregard of spousal income solely for purposes of determination of eligibility; and (7) a contribution of any countable income of the person or the person's spouse which exceeds two hundred per cent of the federal poverty level, as adjusted for the appropriate family size, equal to ten per cent of the excess minus any premiums paid from income for health insurance by any family member, but which does not exceed the maximum contribution allowable under Section 201(a)(3) of Public Law 106-170, as amended from time to time.(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, on and after July 1, 2026, the commissioner shall phase in the elimination of income and asset limits for a participant in the program over four fiscal years by annually increasing (1) the income limit prescribed in subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of this section by ten thousand dollars, and (2) the asset limit prescribed in subdivision (3) of subsection (b) of this section by ten thousand dollars for an unmarried person and fifteen thousand dollars for a married couple. On and after July 1, 2029, there shall be no income or asset limit for eligibility for the program.(d) The Commissioner of Social Services shall implement the policies and procedures necessary to carry out the provisions of this section while in the process of adopting such policies and procedures in regulation form, provided notice of intent to adopt the regulations is posted on the eRegulations System in accordance with section 17b-10 . The commissioner shall define "countable income" for purposes of subsection (b) of this section which shall take into account impairment-related work expenses as defined in the Social Security Act. Such policies and procedures shall be valid until the time final regulations are effective.Conn. Gen. Stat. § 17b-597
( P.A. 00-213 , S. 1 ; P.A. 06-188 , S. 27 .)
Amended by P.A. 24-0081,S. 64 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2024 Regular Session, eff. 4/1/2025.This section is set out more than once due to postponed, multiple, or conflicting amendments.