Immigration advocates are urging the Biden administration to ensure that immigrants with DACA are aware of their eligibility to purchase Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance. A federal regulation implemented in May allows DACA recipients to enroll in subsidized private coverage starting November 1. However, advocates emphasize the need for the Health and Human Services (HHS) to actively promote this opportunity, as the agency has not committed to allocating resources for advertising specifically to DACA recipients.
Approximately 100,000 DACA-protected immigrants are expected to be eligible to enroll in ACA marketplace health plans. Rep. Joaquín Castro and Sen. Cory Booker, along with other House and Senate members, have called on HHS to invest in outreach efforts for DACA recipients to take full advantage of this opportunity. DACA’s future remains uncertain pending a decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which could potentially challenge the program’s legality.
Advocates stress the importance of ensuring that DACA recipients have access to health care, especially given the ongoing threat to the DACA program. Despite a record-high enrollment of 21 million individuals in the ACA marketplace this year, including a significant increase in Black and Latino coverage, many DACA recipients still lack health insurance.
United We Dream, an immigrant advocacy group, has initiated its own campaign to promote ACA enrollment among DACA recipients. The initiative aims to provide DACA recipients with the security and flexibility to access health care, especially in light of potential changes to the DACA program and the importance of maintaining continuous coverage.
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