Stamford Launches HUSKY Task Force To Help Residents Navigate Medicaid Changes

STAMFORD, CT — Mayor Caroline Simmons and Stamford Health President and Chief Executive Officer Kathleen Silard announced this week the launch of the HUSKY Stay Covered Task Force, a community initiative aimed at educating Stamford residents about upcoming changes to Medicaid (HUSKY) following the passage of federal legislation last summer.

The task force is designed as a time-limited awareness and benefits support campaign to help residents understand new Medicaid requirements, provide enrollment and renewal assistance, and guide eligible individuals through work, training and exemption pathways.

Co-chaired by Simmons and Silard, the task force will include health care providers, nonprofit and faith leaders, and state and local officials.

Participants will work through four committees focused on community engagement, communications, finance and operations.

Organizers said initial efforts will focus on building capacity for a citywide awareness campaign by the end of 2026, ahead of changes expected to take effect in 2027.

"Given the federal policy changes to Medicaid and ACA coverage, our goal is to proactively communicate these new requirements to residents in order to prevent unnecessary coverage loss," Simmons said in an announcement. "The City of Stamford is fortunate to have strong partnerships with Stamford Health and a broad network of social service providers and nonprofit organizations, and together we are confident in our ability to deliver clear information, coordinated outreach, and hands-on support to protect coverage for our community."

"When individuals become uninsured, there is a cascade of negative effects," added Silard. "Uninsured people are less likely to seek preventative care, which leads to worse health outcomes and forces individuals to seek emergency care which is more expensive and less efficient. This leads to even more uncompensated care (over $170M in FY2024), which erodes the small margin we retain to reinvest in the community and offer new programs and services. It is our responsibility, and honor, to do what we can to combat those impacts, and we are proud to partner with community organizations and the City of Stamford to launch this critical initiative."