DACA Recipients Can Enroll in ACA Exchanges for the First Time This Fall Under New Federal Rule
NEW JERSEY — New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin is leading a coalition of 18 states to defend federal efforts that expand healthcare access for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, also known as Dreamers. The coalition aims to support a Final Rule issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) that allows DACA recipients to enroll in Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges for the first time starting November 1, 2024.
DACA, established in 2012, permits certain young people who arrived in the United States as children to avoid deportation and work legally in the country. Despite their lawful status, DACA recipients have long been ineligible to purchase health insurance through ACA exchanges, an exclusion the new federal rule seeks to correct.
The Final Rule, issued in May 2024, expands eligibility for Medicaid and ACA exchanges to DACA recipients, acknowledging the significant contributions they make to the nation. DACA recipients contribute an estimated $6.2 billion in federal taxes and $3.3 billion in state and local taxes annually, and many play essential roles in various sectors, including healthcare, education, and the military. Despite their contributions, they are three times more likely to be uninsured than the general U.S. population, which raises healthcare costs and worsens public health outcomes.