Written by a parent, not a doctor. Nothing here is medical advice.

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Connecticut program

Child insurance above the Medicaid line (HUSKY B)

Connecticut’s child health insurance for families above the HUSKY A income line.

What it is

Connecticut’s child health insurance for families above the HUSKY A income line.

HUSKY B starts above the free Medicaid income line. Your child must be uninsured, and household income must fit one of two bands. The same application checks HUSKY A first.

Eligibility rules
  • Children must be under 19 and live in Connecticut. Band 1 reaches 254% of poverty and Band 2 reaches 323%.
  • From March 1, 2026, the Band 1 and Band 2 monthly ceilings are $5,783 and $7,354 for three people, or $6,985 and $8,883 for four.
  • HUSKY B is for a child with no other insurance. An offer of a work plan you did not take does not count as insurance. Do not cancel a plan to qualify before Access Health CT confirms the start date.
What you get
  • No premium in Band 1, with some copays.
  • Band 2 costs $30 monthly for one child or $50 for more than one.
  • Hospital care, cancer treatment, medicines, dental and vision.
  • Premiums and other shared costs together are capped at 5% of gross yearly income.
What the help covers
  • Band 1 has no monthly premium but can have copays. Band 2 adds its monthly premium to those charges.
  • The combined cost-sharing ceiling uses gross income for the eligibility year, so the premium is not the only cost to track.
If you decide to apply
  1. Ask the hospital counselor to help with the Access Health CT application.
  2. Have your child’s ID, current household income and details of any current or offered insurance ready.
  3. Ask which band applies and how the 5% yearly cap will be tracked.

Access Health CT and the Department of Social Services. 1-855-805-4325 · Official page ↗

After you apply
  • Access Health CT confirms the decision deadline, written start date, any premium needed to activate coverage and whether earlier bills can be considered. HUSKY A’s backdating rules do not automatically apply to HUSKY B. Children generally have 12 months of continuous eligibility, followed by renewal review.
Good to know

Being offered a work plan is different from having enrolled in one. HUSKY B requires your child to be uninsured.

Other details
  • The application checks ordinary Medicaid before the higher-income child program. Katie Beckett is a separate route with a medical-care test.

Federal background: Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Official sources
Ask your social worker

“If HUSKY A does not fit, what would HUSKY B cost for our child, and would it cover our cancer team? Could you explain the tradeoffs and help us apply if it makes sense?”

Why I’m asking: I want to compare the actual premium and treatment costs before choosing child coverage.

More background and detailed requirements
Additional program information and published rules

Who does what

The three parts, side by side. The agency decides; nobody on this page does.

You

Apply once: the same form screens HUSKY A and then HUSKY B. Say plainly that the child has no insurance.

Your social worker

The hospital's financial counsellor can file it with you and tell you which band the income lands in.

The care team

Nothing.

Who decides
DSS decides eligibility; Access Health CT takes the application. HUSKY medical services use an administrative services organization.
Ask your social worker
“We are over the HUSKY A line. Can we be screened for HUSKY B on the same application, and can you tell me which band and what the premium would be?”

How to apply

First step: Apply at accesshealthct.com or call 1-855-805-4325. The same application checks HUSKY A first, so you do not need two.

  1. Apply through Access Health CT: one application covers HUSKY A and HUSKY B.
  2. Ask which band you land in and what the premium is.
  3. Ask the worker to note the 5% cost-sharing cap on the file.

Official application / program page ↗

Where it starts: Apply through Access Health CT at accesshealthct.com or 1-855-805-4325. The same application screens HUSKY A first.

What to gather

  • Child's ID and Social Security number
  • This month's income for the tax household
  • Proof the child has no insurance now

How long: Access Health CT confirms the decision deadline, written start date, any premium needed to activate coverage and whether earlier bills can be considered. HUSKY A’s backdating rules do not automatically apply to HUSKY B. Children generally have 12 months of continuous eligibility, followed by renewal review.

What a yes looks like

A notice naming the band, any premium and coverage dates.

What a no looks like, and the next move

If it is income, ask about the Katie Beckett waiver, which leaves parents' income out. If it is insurance, ask exactly which coverage they counted.

Watch out

  • The child has to be uninsured. Being offered a plan at work is not the same thing.
  • Access Health CT confirms any coverage option above the published upper band.
  • Ask the worker to write the 5% cap on the file so copays do not creep past it.

Dates that change this

2026-03-01: The bands are Connecticut's March 1, 2026 chart. They update every March 1; the 2027 cells are not published yet.

The numbers and the rules

The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 11, 2026.

What it is worth

Full children's coverage: with no monthly premium to $6,985 a month for four people, then $30 a month for one child or $50 for more, up to $8,883.

  • $6,985/month — Band 1 top, household of 4 (254%), no premium
  • $8,883/month — Band 2 top, household of 4 (323%)
  • $30/month — Band 2 premium, one child
  • $50/month — Band 2 premium, more than one child
  • $5,783/month — Band 1 top, household of 3 (254%), no premium
  • $7,354/month — Band 2 top, household of 3 (323%)

Covers: Hospital and clinic care · Chemotherapy and prescriptions · Prescriptions and specialist visits · Dental and vision

Legal protection: Premiums, copays and coinsurance together are capped at 5% of gross income for the eligibility year

What it costs the family: Band 1: no premium, some copays. Band 2: $30 a month for one child, $50 for more than one, plus some copays, all inside the 5% cap.

The eligibility facts, as published

Age
under 19
Age max exclusive
19
Income
over the HUSKY A line, up to 254% (Band 1) or 323% (Band 2) of the poverty line
Insurance status condition
the child must be uninsured; whether an unused employer offer bars it is unknown
Residency
Connecticut
Continuous eligibility
Children under 19 generally receive 12 months of continuous eligibility, subject to permitted federal exceptions. DSS confirms renewal dates.
Retroactive months
unknown
Processing standard
unknown

Decisions this site cannot make: Access Health CT / DSS income determination

Expect friction on: Uninsured is a condition; an unused employer offer is not the same as being insured

The trap: HUSKY B requires an uninsured child. Access Health CT confirms how an unused work-insurance offer, a waiting period and the date other coverage ended affect enrollment. It also confirms whether any option exists above the upper band. DSS applies the eligibility rules rather than treating rounded adjacent dollar cells as an uncovered gap. Ending existing insurance can leave a coverage gap without establishing eligibility.

Where I read this

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