The Biden administration issued a decree on May 3, 2024, requiring around 100,000 immigrants who were admitted to the US as children to enroll in the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance program the following year.
The decision took longer to finalize than anticipated, and Democratic President Joe Biden’s original suggestion to let those migrants enroll in Medicaid the health insurance program that offers the poorest citizens of the country almost free coverage was not met.
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However, the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace enrollment opening on November 1, just days before the presidential election, would enable thousands of people, dubbed “Dreamers,” to take advantage of tax advantages when they enroll for coverage.
In a recent remark, Biden noted, “I’m proud of the contributions of Dreamers to our country and committed to providing Dreamers the support they need to succeed.”
Although the president’s border and immigration policies have drawn criticism from conservatives, Biden may have been able to increase his appeal to Latino voters at a pivotal juncture to win the election.
It is now possible for anybody registered in the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, to enter the market. Many of these individuals are Latino.
The head of the country’s health department, Xavier Becerra, stated that many of those migrants had put off receiving care because they did not have insurance.
On a call, Becerra informed reporters, “They incur higher costs and debts when they do finally receive care.”
“Making Dreamers eligible to enroll in coverage will improve their health and well-being and strengthen the health and well-being of our nation and our economy.”
The measure taken by the government modifies the meaning of “lawfully present” to allow DACA recipients to enroll in the marketplace exchange lawfully.
The DACA program was started by then-President Barack Obama to protect immigrants who were brought into the country illegally as minors from deportation and to enable them to work lawfully there.
However, because they did not fit the criteria for having a qualifying disability, the “Dreamers” remained ineligible for government-subsidized health insurance plans “lawful presence” in the US.
