Breakthrough: Biden Administration Expands Health Care Access for Dreamers with New CMS Rule

In a recent move, the Biden administration has finalized a rule through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that will provide health care access to thousands of uninsured individuals in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This decision aims to make health coverage more accessible to DACA recipients, also known as Dreamers, who have been working hard to achieve the American Dream. These individuals are our neighbors, friends, students, teachers, social workers, doctors, nurses, and fellow Americans.

Under the new rule, about 100,000 DACA recipients who were previously uninsured will have the opportunity to enroll in health coverage through state-run Health Insurance Marketplace plans provided under the Affordable Care Act. There are approximately 600,000 DACA recipients who were brought into the country without authorization as children and are protected from deportation by programs established during the Obama administration.

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra highlighted that around one-third of DACA recipients are currently uninsured, and making them eligible for health coverage will not only improve their health and wellbeing but also benefit the overall economy. With this ruling, DACA recipients will be able to select a Marketplace health plan during a special enrollment window that aligns with the 2025 Open Enrollment Period or within 60 days following the rule’s effective date of November 1, 2024.

Individuals who apply for coverage in November 2024 may have their Marketplace coverage start as early as December 1, 2024