Despite Slow Recovery—

HUSKY Enrollment Continues To Grow

By Jacqueline Rabe

©The Connecticut Mirror

As the economy soured over the past few years, enrollment of low-income families on the state’s HUSKY health insurance plan has spiked to an all-time high, a trend that is costing the state unprecedented amounts to cover.

Enrollment in HUSKY has increased by 10 percent in the past year and by 15 percent since the recession officially began in March 2008, to a total of 390,200, according to the state Department of Social Services (DSS).

“We don’t think there’s any doubt that the recession has contributed to an increase,” said David Dearborn, spokesman for DSS, adding staff is doing “herculean work” to keep pace with the influx.

And while state legislators will soon have to figure a way to close an estimated $3.4 billion budget shortfall, chairmen of the Appropriations and Human Services committees said they are not ready to scale back benefits or tighten eligibility requirements.

“You can’t look at these benefits as a money vacuum. There is a lot of support for HUSKY and this is not an area I am ready to begin minimizing coverage,” said Senator Paul R. Doyle, D-Wethersfield, co-chairman of the Human Services Committee.

The unexpected spike in HUSKY enrollment and other Medicaid health programs this fiscal year has caused a $42.2 million shortfall in the program’s budget. The Finance Advisory Committee is expected to vote this week to fill that gap by transferring surplus money from other DSS programs to HUSKY’s budget.

Enrollment in Medicaid health programs, which includes HUSKY, has jumped from 429,301 in April 2009 to 465,767 in April 2010 — an 8.5 percent increase overall attributable almost entirely to HUSKY. The federal government picks up part of the cost — usually half — but federal stimulus dollars increased Washington’s share to 62 percent through December 31.

“This has been an issue for us. It’s created quite a strain on our budget,” said Representative John Geragosian, D-New Britain, co-chairman of the Appropriations Committee. “The economy has started to rebound slightly but we are still nowhere near from being out of the woods.”

The $19 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year beginning July 1 did offset costs by increasing co-payments and premiums for a small portion of those enrolled in HUSKY.

(This material originally appeared at CTMirror.org, the website of The Connecticut Mirror, an independent, nonprofit news organization covering government, politics, and public policy in the state.)