Medicaid for Senior Care in Connecticut
What Medicaid Actually Covers for Senior Care
In Connecticut, Medicaid, also known as HUSKY Health, offers crucial support for senior care, primarily through two pathways: nursing home coverage and home and community-based services (HCBS) waivers. For those requiring the highest level of assistance, Institutional or Nursing Home Medicaid covers the full cost of care in a Medicaid-certified nursing facility, including room, board, skilled nursing, doctor visits, and medications. While residents must contribute most of their income towards care, they are allowed to keep a small personal needs allowance of $75 per month (or $165 per month for wartime veterans) for personal items.
If your parent wishes to remain at home or in an assisted living setting, the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders (CHCPE) Waiver is a key option. This program provides services like adult day care, home-delivered meals, light housekeeping, minor home modifications, personal care assistance, and personal emergency response systems. It's important to know that while CHCPE covers these services, it generally does not pay for room and board costs in assisted living facilities or adult foster care. Additionally, the Community First Choice (CFC) program allows HUSKY C beneficiaries to hire their own personal care attendants, including adult children, for daily living tasks, meal delivery, and home modifications.
Do You Qualify?
Qualifying for Connecticut Medicaid involves meeting specific financial and functional requirements for 2026. For a single applicant, the asset limit is generally $1,600 for both nursing home care and HCBS waivers. If both spouses are applying, their combined asset limit is $3,200. When only one spouse applies, the applicant spouse still has a $1,600 asset limit, but the non-applicant (community) spouse can keep a Community Spouse Resource Allowance of up to $162,660.
Income limits vary by program. For nursing home Medicaid, your parent's income must be less than the cost of their care, with most of it going towards that expense. For HCBS Waivers like CHCPE, a single applicant's gross monthly income cannot exceed $2,982. If your parent's income is too high, Connecticut has a Medical Spend-Down Program. This allows them to become income-eligible by using their excess income to pay for medical bills, such as private health insurance premiums or uncovered medical expenses, over a six-month period. Another option for those over income limits for a waiver is a Pooled Income Trust, where excess income can be deposited to qualify.
Your parent's home is usually not counted as an asset if a spouse, a child under 21, or a permanently blind or disabled child lives there. If not, there's a home equity limit of $1,130,000, and your parent must express an "intent to return" home. Be aware of the 60-month (5-year) look-back period for asset transfers, as gifting assets can result in a penalty period of ineligibility. While a home may be exempt during your parent's lifetime, it is generally subject to Medicaid's Estate Recovery Program after their death to recoup care costs. Pensions typically count as income, but the VA Aid & Attendance pension does not.
Waitlists & How to Apply
When it comes to accessing services, Nursing Home Medicaid is an entitlement, meaning anyone who meets the eligibility criteria will receive assistance. However, Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waivers, such as CHCPE, are not entitlements and have a limited number of enrollment slots. This means that waiting lists may exist for these programs, which can sometimes last for months or even years due to funding limitations and high demand.
To apply for Medicaid long-term care in Connecticut, you have several options. The quickest way is often online through the ConneCT website. You can also download the W-1LTSS application form for Long-Term Services and Supports from the CT DSS website or request a paper application by calling the DSS Client Information Line and Benefits Center at 1-855-626-6632. Completed applications, along with as much documentation as possible, can be mailed to the DSS ConneCT Scanning Center, P.O. Box 1320, Manchester, CT 06045-1320, or dropped off at any local DSS office. New applications for nursing home care are processed by specific LTSS Application Centers in Waterbury, Bridgeport, and New Haven, while waiver program applications go to the Greater Hartford LTSS Application Center. Most Medicaid eligibility decisions are made within 45 days, though disability-based decisions can take up to 90 days.
Last updated: March 2026. Sources: CMS, state Medicaid agency, Genworth 2024.