The Biden Administration has proposed a new rule that would expand access to health coverage for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. The rule would allow DACA recipients to obtain comprehensive health care coverage by enrolling in Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or the Affordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Marketplace. L.A. Care wrote to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today to express support for this proposal.
Allowing DACA recipients to participate and access federal subsidies in the marketplace will help lower the number of the uninsured and make health care coverage affordable to more people, as it will bring a younger, healthier group of individuals into the risk pool. California currently uses state funding to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible residents who are undocumented. The new rule means there would be federal matching funds for DACA recipients that enroll in Medicaid. That would free up state funding, which could be used to offer health care coverage for the remaining uninsured populations.
In its letter of support, L.A. Care reaffirms its commitment to DACA recipients by supporting this important rule, and applauds the Biden Administration for leading in efforts that will advance health equity, which means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible.