CT Lawmakers exceed the budget cap, shoring up Medicaid

By Frankie Graziano,

Published May 28, 2025 at 7:15 AM EDT

FILE: Rozanne Hauser of Bloomfield cheers with the crowd in support of Medicare during Hartford’s “Hands Off” protest against the Trump administration on April 5, 2025. “It’s appalling,” she said. “I’m 85, I’ve seen a lot. I’m so concerned about people on medicaid, LGBT people.”

Connecticut lawmakers broke with nearly two decades of precedent and exceeded the state’s budget cap, pouring an extra $284 million into Medicaid.

But with Medicaid relying on two primary funding sources–and U.S. lawmakers poised to pass President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill”--the future of low-income healthcare programs is uncertain.

Today on The Wheelhouse, America’s brittle social safety net hangs in the balance.

GUESTS:

Lisa Hagan, Federal Policy Reporter, CT Mirror and CT Public
Joan Alker, Research Professor, Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy
John Henry Smith, Host, All Things Considered, CT Public

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