May 03, 2024

Congressman Castro Celebrates Final Rule to Expand ACA Coverage to DACA Recipients

SAN ANTONIO – Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a longtime Congressional leader in efforts to expand access to health care for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, released the following statement praising the Biden administration’s action to remove the prohibition that prevented DACA recipients from enrolling in coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace:

“Over the last twelve years, DACA has allowed hundreds of thousands of first-generation Americans to graduate from college, join the workforce, and chase their American dreams in the only country many have ever known. Throughout that time, these young Americans have been asked to work and pay taxes to support a system of affordable health care that excluded them. Today’s announcement is an important step to right that wrong,” said Congressman Castro. “The rapid spread and devastating toll of the COVID-19 pandemic was a reminder that our country is safer when everyone has access to the care they need. I’m proud to see the Biden administration heed the calls of public health advocates and immigrant communities and open the Affordable Care Act marketplace to DACA recipients, hope the administration will also move to expand Medicaid and CHIP eligibility as soon as possible.”

Beginning in November, the final rule announced today will allow DACA recipients to apply for healthcare coverage through HealthCare.gov and state-based marketplaces, where they may qualify for financial assistance to help them purchase health insurance. The final rule is projected to help more than 100,000 DACA recipients access affordable care.

Since the beginning of the Biden administration, Congressman Castro has pushed the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make the changes announced today. In 2021, Congressman Castro led more than 90 House members in a letter calling on President Biden and then-acting HHS Secretary Norris Cochran to grant access to ACA benefits for DACA recipients in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2022, Congressman Castro and Senator Cory Booker (N.J.) also led members of the House and Senate in a letter urging HHS to rescind federal regulations that exclude DACA recipients from eligibility for health insurance subsidies and coverage. The letter additionally asked HHS to issue a State Health Officials letter clarifying DACA recipients’ eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP. A third effort, launched in November 2023, called on HHS to finalize their proposed rule to expand health coverage for those participating in the DACA program, crime victims, and immigrant children.