On Friday, the Biden administration will publish a final rule that would allow about 100,000 uninsured people enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to enroll in public or private health insurance plans provided under the Affordable Care Act, administration officials said.
A new rule from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services may allow uninsured DACA recipients to enroll in health insurance coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace or the Basic Health Program, also called BHP, in the few states where such plans are available.
"By providing new opportunities for quality, affordable health care, this rule will give DACA recipients the peace of mind and opportunity that every American deserves," White House domestic policy adviser Neera Tanden said Thursday in a meeting with reporters ahead of discussions on the final rule.
Only two states - Minnesota and New York - have basic health care programs. Oregon will become the third state this year. The program, created under the Affordable Care Act, allows states to provide affordable health care to low-income people who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid. These programs are almost entirely federally funded.
In a statement, President Joe Biden said DACA recipients, often called "dreamers," deserve access to health insurance.
"Dreamers are our loved ones, our nurses, teachers and small business owners," Biden said. "And they deserve the health care they were promised, just like the rest of us."
There are about 600,000 DACA recipients who were brought into the country without authorization as children. An Obama-era program protects them from deportation.
Health Secretary Xavier Becerra said about one-third of DACA recipients are uninsured.
"Currently, DACA recipients are three times more likely to be uninsured than the U.S. as a whole, and people without health insurance are are less likely to get preventive and routine health screenings," Becerra said during a phone call Thursday.
November start date
The rule will take effect Nov. 1 "to coincide with the open enrollment period for the individual market in most states and to allow time for necessary operational updates," according to a fact sheet provided by the White House. The move could affect as many as 100,000 DACA recipients, the White House said.
"DACA recipients are no longer denied coverage from a quality health plan," Becerra said.
DACA recipients who are eligible to enroll in a Marketplace plan may also qualify for "advance payments of the premium tax credit (APTC) and cost-sharing reductions (CSRs) to lower the cost of Marketplace coverage, depending on their income," according to the fact sheet.
The rule would update the definition of "qualified noncitizen" for Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program benefits to clarify the categories of noncitizens who are eligible for coverage. The rule will not otherwise change eligibility for these programs for noncitizens.
A senior administration official also noted that most DACA recipients have health insurance through their place of employment, but that the rule would identify those without insurance. The administration official spoke to reporters on the condition that he not be named.
DACA recipients are currently awaiting a lawsuit, which will likely go to the Supreme Court, to determine the legality of the program after the Trump administration attempted to terminate it. If the Supreme Court finds the program illegal, it is unclear what will happen to program participants.