Biden expands health insurance access for DACA immigrants

[May 03, 2024]  By Ted Hesson
 
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's administration will allow certain immigrants illegally brought to the U.S. as children greater access to federally run health insurance, the White House said on Friday, addressing a sensitive issue ahead of elections in November. 

Immigrants and activists hold placards in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy ahead of a hearing on a revised version of the DACA program outside a federal courthouse in Houston, Texas, U.S., June 1, 2023. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

With the move, an estimated 100,000 previously uninsured participants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, are expected to enroll in the Health Insurance Marketplace and Basic Health Program, both created under the Affordable Care Act, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said.

The DACA program was launched in 2012 under former President Barack Obama, to whom Biden was vice president. The program offers deportation relief and work permits to so-called "Dreamer" immigrants who were illegally brought to the U.S. as children or overstayed a visa.

"Dreamers are our loved ones, our nurses, teachers, and small business owners," Biden said in a statement. "And they deserve the promise of health care just like all of us."

DACA enrollees will have access to related financial assistance, such as tax credits and reduced out-of-pocket costs under the change, which will be effective Nov. 1, according to a White House fact sheet.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about any costs to the U.S. government.

Immigration has emerged as a top issue for voters ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November pitting Biden, a Democrat, against Republican former President Donald Trump. Biden has sought to balance a tougher approach to border security with policies that protect asylum seekers and others in the U.S. illegally.

Trump, an immigration hardliner, tried to end DACA during his presidency but was denied by the U.S. Supreme Court. About 530,000 people are currently enrolled in the program, which remains subject to an ongoing legal fight.

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said on Thursday that people without health care insurance delay preventative or routine medical care, leading to unnecessary costs later.

The regulation will give DACA participants access to the Basic Health Program, which serves low-income residents, according to a White House fact sheet.

The change will not open access to two other low-income programs, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, as was initially proposed in 2023.

(Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Additional reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein; Editing by Mary Milliken and Sonali Paul)

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