Biden Administration Extends ACA Coverage Eligibility to DACA Recipients

The Biden Administration has put forth a new directive that affects the coverage of the Affordable Care Act. With this change, President Joe Biden announced:

“Today, my administration is expanding affordable, quality healthcare coverage to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients…. Dreamers are our loved ones, our nurses, teachers, and small business owners. And they deserve the promise of healthcare just like all of us.”

What’s Changed With ACA Coverage?

Originally, those who received assistance from DACA were not eligible for ACA coverage, but with this new directive, certain immigrants and their children have a new way to access healthcare. Before the change, they were specifically excluded from coverage through any ACA marketplace. They would have to afford private healthcare plans, use the healthcare plan offered by their employer, or go without. That is no longer the case. 

Who Is an Eligible DACA Recipient?

The DACA program offers assistance to immigrants who came to the United States as children. Their DACA status blocks them from being deported so they go through the legal administrative process of becoming permanent residents and potentially citizens of the U.S.

The administration estimates that around 100,000 people in the country will have access to healthcare coverage immediately. 

Support for the New Directive

The medical community has offered support for this new directive. Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld, president of the American Medical Association (AMA) released a statement:

“The AMA has supported extending eligibility to purchase Affordable Care Act marketplace coverage to DACA recipients and advancing policies that address the unmet medical needs of unaccompanied undocumented minor children…. The AMA knows that expanding access and advancing health equity improves population health and is likely to result in reduced costs for American taxpayers since individuals without insurance are less likely to receive preventative or routine health screenings and may delay necessary medical care, often resulting in higher health care costs down the road.”

What Does this Mean for You?

If you have been struggling to find or afford healthcare as someone who immigrated to the United States as a child as a result of someone else’s decisions, you potentially have access to healthcare. Your health is not forfeited due to the decisions of a legal guardian who may have brought you into the country illegally.

Contact the Attorneys at The Law Offices of Diron Rutty, LLC for Help

The immigration attorneys at The Law Offices of Diron Rutty, LLC can help immigrants find out if they’re eligible for help from DACA. From there, we can work with you to make sure you can get all of the benefits you’re eligible for, now including healthcare.