Booker, Castro urge feds to prepare for DACA recipients seeking health care access

U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas is one of two Oregon congressional members who joined a group of Democrats calling on the Biden administration to let DACA recipients know they can apply for health care. U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici a

WASHINGTON — Worried about the outcome of the 2024 election, a slew of congressional Democrats have called on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to take steps to ensure Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program recipients can actually access health insurance provided under the Affordable Care Act when they become eligible this year.

The Biden administration published a final rule in May, set to go into effect on Nov. 1, that will allow DACA recipients to “apply for coverage through HealthCare.gov and state-based marketplaces, where they may qualify for financial assistance to help them purchase quality health insurance.”

But for DACA recipients to take full advantage of the expansion as early as possible, HHS needs to put resources into outreach, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas and 86 other Democrats said in a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and provided first to States Newsroom. They included U.S. Democratic Reps. Suzanne Bonamici and Andrea Salinas in Oregon.

The lawmakers praised the recently finalized rule, while noting that “for this expansion to be successful, HHS must ensure that every newly eligible individual is fully informed and supported during the enrollment process.”

A total of 73 U.S. representatives and 15 U.S. senators from across the country signed the letter. The letter is dated Monday, when members agreed on the final language, and the lawmakers sent it to HHS on Tuesday.

With DACA recipients eligible for health insurance benefits as early as December if enrolled by Nov. 15, the lawmakers want to ensure that the recipients are “able to navigate the registration process so that they can take full advantage of their new access to medical care.”

The lawmakers pressed Becerra on the actual implementation of this imminent accessibility, including how the department plans to minimize barriers to enrollment for a group that has historically faced challenges in verifying their identity.

They also asked the secretary to address what steps the department will take to make sure the recipients are aware of the special enrollment period, what resources will be allocated for media outreach, how the department will ensure the information is shared to this group and how they will help prevent instances of scams or fraud targeting the recipients throughout the enrollment period.

A spokesperson for HHS said the department will respond directly to the members of Congress.

Future of DACA in the balance

The letter comes as DACA’s future remains unknown.

Former President Donald J. Trump — officially nominated Monday as the 2024 GOP presidential nominee — tried to end the program during his first term.

Recipients of DACA are awaiting a court case to determine the legality of the program after Trump sought to end it.

DACA — an Obama-era program created in 2012 — was designed to protect children who were brought into the country illegally from deportation. The Biden administration said that its final rule released in May is set to help more than 100,000 uninsured young people.

Representatives for the 2024 Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday regarding DACA.

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