As many as 100,000 illegal immigrants will now be eligible for health care subsidized by federal tax dollars, the White House announced Friday.
A new “final rule” issued by the Biden administration expands Affordable Care Act coverage to many of those who have been allowed to remain in the United States under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program first put in place by the Obama adminstration in 2012, while Joe Biden was vice president.
According to The New York Times, the DACA program, which also provides work permits to illegal aliens who entered the U.S. illegals while still minors, protects roughly 500,000 people from deportation, but has not provided them with health care coverage.
Until now.
Illegals covered by DACA can begin applying for coverage in Obamacare and state health care marketplaces in November, according to the White House statement.
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“President Biden and Vice President [Kamala] Harris believe that health care should be a right, not a privilege,” the statement said.
“Together, they promised to protect and strengthen the Affordable Care Act, lowering costs and expanding coverage so that every American has the peace of mind that health insurance brings,” it continued. “Today’s final rule delivers on the President’s commitment by giving DACA recipients that same peace and opportunity.”
A separate statement from Harris put the number of so-called “dreamers” number 800,000.
Harris called on Congress to take permanent action to “protect” those covered by DACA, while the White House noted that Biden called on Congress to “provide a pathway to citizenship to Dreamers and others.”
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Minors previously covered by DACA can continue to receive its federally funded benefits, but a federal judge ruled in 2021 that the government could no longer admit new illegals into the program, and an appeals court later upheld that decision.
No estimates of the cost of providing ACA coverage to an additional 100,000 young people were immediately available.
The short news release from the Biden White House appears in its entirety below.
Administration Expands Health Coverage to DACA Recipients
President Biden Announces Final Rule that will Allow Eligible DACA Recipients to Enroll in Affordable Care Act Coverage
Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is expanding access to affordable, quality health care coverage to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. In 2012, President Obama and then Vice President Biden created the DACA policy to transform the lives of eligible Dreamers – young people who came to this country as children—allowing them to live and work lawfully in our country. Over the last decade, DACA has brought stability, possibility, and progress to hundreds of thousands of Dreamers.
While President Biden continues to call on Congress to provide a pathway to citizenship to Dreamers and others, he is committed to protecting and preserving DACA and providing Dreamers with the opportunities and support they need to succeed, including access to affordable, quality health care coverage. Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s actions, today’s final rule will remove the prohibition on DACA recipients’ eligibility for Affordable Care Act coverage for the first time, and is projected to help more than 100,000 young people gain health insurance. Starting in November, DACA recipients can apply for coverage through HealthCare.gov and state-based marketplaces, where they may qualify for financial assistance to help them purchase quality health insurance. Four out of five consumers have found a plan for less than $10 a month, with millions saving an average of about $800 a year on their premiums.
President Biden and Vice President Harris believe that health care should be a right, not a privilege. Together, they promised to protect and strengthen the Affordable Care Act, lowering costs and expanding coverage so that every American has the peace of mind that health insurance brings. Today’s final rule delivers on the President’s commitment by giving DACA recipients that same peace and opportunity.
Today’s rule also reinforces the President’s enduring commitment to DACA recipients and Dreamers, who contribute daily to the strength and vitality of our communities and our country. On day one of his Administration, President Biden committed to preserving and fortifying the DACA policy. While only Congress can provide Dreamers permanent status and a pathway to citizenship, the Biden-Harris Administration has continued to vigorously defend DACA against ongoing legal challenges and strengthened DACA by codifying the 2012 policy in a final rule.
