City of Stamford and Stamford Health Launch HUSKY Stay Covered Task Force to Protect Healthcare Coverage for Stamford Residents

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

City of Stamford

March 24, 2026

Contact:

Lauren Meyer

203-977-5115

[email protected]

Andie Jodko

Communications Director, Stamford Health

203.276.5511

[email protected]

CITY OF STAMFORD AND STAMFORD HEALTH LAUNCH HUSKY STAY COVERED TASK FORCE TO PROTECT HEALTHCARE COVERAGE FOR STAMFORD RESIDENTS

STAMFORD, CT - Mayor Caroline Simmons and Kathleen Silard, President & Chief Executive Officer of Stamford Health announced the launch of the HUSKY Stay Covered Task Force, a community initiative to help educate Stamford residents about upcoming changes to Medicaid (HUSKY) resulting from the passage of federal legislation last summer.

The HUSKY Stay Covered Task Force will be a time-limited awareness and benefits support campaign to proactively educate residents about new Medicaid requirements, provide hands-on enrollment and renewal assistance, and help eligible individuals navigate work, training, and exemption pathways.

The Task Force, co-chaired by Mayor Simmons and Kathleen Silard, will bring together healthcare providers, nonprofit and faith leaders, and state and local officials to work under four dedicated committees focused on community engagement, communications, finance, and operations. Initial efforts will center on building the capacity needed to launch a citywide awareness campaign by the end of 2026, ensuring residents are prepared for the changes that take effect in 10 months 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," said Mayor Caroline Simmons. "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," remarked Kathleen 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."