Advocates Launch Awareness Campaign to Get Thousands of DACA Recipients Enrolled in ACA Health Coverage

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 30, 2024

CONTACT
Juan Gastelum, NILC, [email protected], 213-375-3149
Catherine Lee, United We Dream, [email protected]
Emma Bittner, Young Invincibles, [email protected], 972-510-3395

Advocates Launch Awareness Campaign to Get Thousands of DACA Recipients Enrolled in ACA Health Coverage

WASHINGTON – Today, the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), United We Dream (UWD), and Young Invincibles launched an online campaign to reach thousands of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients who will soon be eligible to purchase health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The campaign, which enlists more than 200 organizations representing 41 states, aims to encourage DACA recipients across the country who are in need of health coverage to sign up during open enrollment, starting November 1 to January 15.

Despite DACA’s transformative impact, DACA recipients remain disproportionately uninsured. In May, after years of advocacy by immigrant youth and allies, the Biden administration finalized a rule that, for the first time, allows DACA recipients and other groups to access affordable health insurance plans on ACA marketplaces.

Raha Wala, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Advocacy at NILC, said:

“Access to more affordable health insurance options means more DACA recipients will be able to see a doctor and get quality care when they need it. That, in turn, means healthier and stronger communities overall. As open enrollment begins, we’re working to make sure that as many DACA recipients as possible know about ACA insurance plans newly available to them and can make informed decisions about their care.”

Juliana Macedo do Nascimento, Deputy Director of Federal Advocacy of United We Dream, said:

“Immigrant young people continue to brave the fight for everyone to have access to affordable healthcare. This year, we celebrated a major step towards achieving this goal by ensuring hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients can finally go to the doctor, get medicine and have annual check-ups, and address any other medical concerns that have been pushed off for far too long through the Affordable Care Act. Medical care should never be dependent on someone’s immigration status, and this new ACA rule will have an undeniably positive, life-changing impact for our communities. With open enrollment approaching, our goal is to get as many eligible people enrolled as possible and fight back against the hateful, anti-immigrant actors already attempting to end this rule and stop thousands of people from accessing healthcare.”

Martha Sanchez, Director of Health Care Policy and Advocacy at Young Invincibles said:

“Extending ACA marketplace coverage to DACA recipients is a crucial step in ensuring they receive the support and health care they deserve. Young adults are the most uninsured age group, and this historic expansion will offer many young DACA recipients the chance to secure health coverage for the first time in their lives. This access will result in better health outcomes, routine check ups, mental health access, and fewer costly emergency room visits. As open enrollment approaches on November 1, it’s vital that DACA recipients have access to the information and resources needed to find the best insurance plan for their unique needs. As such, we are thrilled to work alongside our fellow advocates and lead the charge to helping our community members get covered.”

A small group of conservative states is seeking to block the Biden administration’s rule in a federal lawsuit. A court in North Dakota has not yet ruled on the states’ request to temporarily block the policy before it goes into effect.

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