Grants for trusted messengers to share information about upcoming changes to Medicaid and SNAP | CT Health Foundation
June 30, 2026 | News Release: Forty-two organizations from across Connecticut will help their communities understand and navigate changes to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), with funding from the Connecticut Health Foundation and the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation.
June 30, 2026News ReleaseHartford, CONN. (June 30, 2026)–Forty-two organizations from across Connecticut will help their communities understand and navigate changes to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), with funding from the Connecticut Health Foundation and the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation. An estimated168,614 peoplein Connecticut are at risk of losing their Medicaid coverage over the next decade due to changes made by the federal law known as H. R. 1, or the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act. ” The organizations receiving funding are trusted messengers and will play an important role in ensuring people have access to accurate information, helping to minimize coverage losses. The most significant changes to Medicaid are:Work reporting requirements: Adults covered by HUSKY D will be required to document at least 80 hours per month of work, school, volunteer service, or otherqualifying activitiesto maintain their coverage unless they qualify for an exception. This change takes effect on Jan. 1, 2027. More frequent redeterminations: Also beginning on Jan. 1, 2027, HUSKY D enrollees will have to verify their eligibility with the state every six months instead of annually. Immigrant eligibility: Starting Oct. 1, 2026, certain non-citizens will face neweligibility restrictions. Refugees, asylees, humanitarian parolees and trafficking victims will no longer be eligible for Medicaid. In addition to messaging about Medicaid, the trusted messengers will share information about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and refer people to appropriate resources as needed. “The upcoming changes to Medicaid have the potential to leave thousands of Connecticut residents without health coverage, not because they don’t qualify, but because administrative hurdles will make it more confusing, and more difficult for people to maintain coverage,” said Tiffany Donelson, president and CEO of the Connecticut Health Foundation. “One of the most important things we can do is ensure people have the information they need to do what they need to do to stay covered. These organizations are trusted by the communities they serve to deliver that information, and to help individuals take the steps they need to keep their coverage when possible. ”“Greater Hartford Gives is proud to be partnering with the Connecticut Health Foundation to support the trusted messenger initiative to ensure that Greater Hartford residents most impacted by Medicaid and SNAP policy changes receive accurate information and support to maintain health coverage and access to basic needs,” said Greater Hartford Gives President and CEO Jay Williams. “Partnering with local nonprofits, the initiative will provide residents with the guidance they need to maintain or gain health insurance and access to vital health and nutrition to ensure the health and wellbeing of thousands of local residents. ”This grantmaking effort is led by the Connecticut Health Foundation with significant support from the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation. Forty-two organizations received grants, totaling $567,200. The trusted messenger organizations are:Achieving, Knowledge, Nurture, Empower, Within, HartfordAdvocacy to Legacy, WindsorAlliance for Living, New LondonBuilding One Community, StamfordCharter Oak Health Center, HartfordCommunity Health and Wellness Center of Greater Torrington, TorringtonCommunity Health Resources, EnfieldComunidades Sin Fronteras, NorwalkConnecticut Association for Community Action, MiddletownConnecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants, BridgeportConnecticut Worker Center, BridgeportEnd Hunger Connecticut, HartfordFamily Centers, GreenwichFamily and Children’s Agency, NorwalkFirst Choice Health Centers, East HartfordGenerations Family Health Center, WillimanticGilead Community Services, MiddletownHaitian Community Center of Greater Norwich, NorwichHartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective, HartfordHartford Health Initiative, HartfordHartford Parent University, HartfordHartford Public Library, HartfordHispanic Health Council, HartfordHockanum Valley Community Council, VernonHUSKY 4 Immigrants, BridgeportHT CT Inc. , BranfordOpen Door Shelter, NorwalkIntegrated Refugee and Immigrant Services, New HavenInterCommunity Health Care, East HartfordMadre Latina Organization, WaterburyMinisterial Health Fellowship, MiddletownParents Available to Help, North BranfordProject Access of New Haven, New HavenPT Partners, BridgeportSaint Vincent de Paul Middletown, MiddletownStayWell Health Care, WaterburyThe Latino Way, East HartfordThe Village for Families & Children, HartfordUnited Community and Family Services, NorwichUrban Alliance, HartfordValley Council for Health and Human Services, DerbyYoung Women’s Christian Association New Britain, New BritainFor more information, please contact Gaby Molina at gaby@cthealth. org or 860-724-1580 x 133. About the Connecticut Health FoundationThe Connecticut Health Foundation is the state’s largest independent health philanthropy dedicated to improving health outcomes for people of color. Since its creation in 1999, the foundation has awarded more than $82 million to nonprofit organizations and public entities to expand health equity, reduce health disparities, expand health coverage, and improve the health of all Connecticut residents. RelatedConnecticut Children’s Medical Center: Demonstrating solutions for early interventionAugust 29, 2017See More >April advocacy resources – Ideas for reducing reporting burdens from HR 1, and moreApril 21, 2026See More >Grants will support community health workers in seven communitiesOctober 1, 2020See More >