The Biden administration announced a major policy shift on Friday, making up to 100,000 illegal immigrants eligible for federally subsidized health care. This move expands the Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage to many individuals currently in the U.S. under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, established during the Obama administration in 2012, when Joe Biden served as Vice President.
The New York Times reported that while the DACA program provides deportation protections and work permits to those who entered the U.S. illegally as minors—covering approximately 500,000 individuals—it previously did not offer them health care coverage. This change allows those protected under DACA to apply for health insurance through Obamacare and state health care marketplaces starting in November.
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The White House emphasized the administration’s belief that health care is a fundamental right. “President Biden and Vice President [Kamala] Harris believe that health care should be a right, not a privilege,” the statement read, highlighting their commitment to expanding coverage and reducing costs to ensure every American benefits from the security of health insurance. The announcement detailed that this new rule fulfills a promise to give DACA recipients “the same peace and opportunity” afforded to other Americans.
Vice President Harris has echoed this sentiment, urging Congress to enact permanent measures to safeguard DACA individuals, while President Biden has called for legislation providing a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and others. Currently, minors previously covered by DACA continue to receive its benefits, although new entries to the program were halted by a 2021 federal court ruling, which an appeals court later upheld.
The financial implications of extending ACA coverage to an additional 100,000 people were not immediately disclosed.
