NEWPORT, Conn.
— The House on Thursday passed a bill to cover more than half of Connecticut’s Medicaid expansion costs by expanding Medicaid eligibility, allowing people to keep coverage even if they lose their jobs.
The legislation passed in a voice vote, after a marathon session of lawmakers.
It would allow the state to begin sending Medicaid benefits to people who lose their current jobs and would pay for it by eliminating income taxes and the state’s income tax on dividends and capital gains.
The House voted 277-162, with most Republicans voting against the measure.
House Speaker Anthony Rendon said he expects the Senate to vote on the bill.
Democrats said the legislation will hurt middle-class families and would be devastating to Medicaid expansion recipients.
The Senate passed the bill by a narrow vote of 52-48.
The bill will go to the governor for his signature.