President Joe Biden announced Thursday his administration’s plan to expand healthcare coverage to young adults without legal status who have been in the U.S. since they were children and are currently working or studying under the DACA program.
Under Biden’s plan, DACA recipients, also known as Dreamers, would be able to enroll in a health plan through the Affordable Care Act or Medicaid.
“Today’s announcement is about giving DACA recipients the same opportunities,” Biden said in a video statement posted on Twitter. “We’ll continue doing what we can to protect Dreamers.”
DACA, or the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, was implemented in 2012 as an executive order under President Barack Obama allowing eligible undocumented young adults who came to the U.S. to work and study without fear of deportation.
The Department of Health and Human Services is expected to propose a rule expanding the definition of “lawful presence” to include DACA recipients, for purposes of Medicaid and Affordable Care Act coverage, according to the White House.
The Biden Administration expects to get this done by the end of April.
If finalized, it would be the first time DACA recipients are eligible for these healthcare programs.
DACA recipients would be able to apply for coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace, where they may qualify for financial assistance based on income, and through their state Medicaid agency, according to the White House.
More than 600,000 DACA recipients live in the U.S. An overwhelming majority where born in Mexico and other Latin American countries.
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