Statement from Katherine Olivera, Director of Government Relations at the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, on ACA health insurance coverage for DACA recipients

We’re so excited that Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients are now eligible for health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Now through January 15, 2025, DACA recipients can enroll in health insurance plans at HealthCare.gov or call the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596 and apply for income-based subsidies to reduce the cost of these plans. Enrolling in ACA coverage won’t affect a DACA recipient’s current or future status.

Health coverage is crucial in protecting against medical debt and making health care more affordable and accessible, but DACA recipients were unfairly excluded from the ACA when DACA was first implemented more than 10 years ago. As a result, DACA recipients have faced high uninsurance rates, unmet mental health needs, and exacerbated medical debt.

Under this new policy, approximately 100,000 previously uninsured DACA recipients are set to receive health care coverage. While we’re grateful for this important step for DACA recipients, there are still millions more im/migrants throughout the country who can’t access the health insurance or health care they need. Our communities deserve policy solutions like the Health Equity and Access under the Law (HEAL) for Immigrant Families Act, which would remove arbitrary restrictions to health coverage and increase access to health care for immigrant families.

At the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, we’re committed to working with im/migrant communities to raise their voices for the same rights as everyone else so that they can make their own decisions about their families and health. We won’t stop until all of us, regardless of documentation status, have access and coverage to the full range of sexual and reproductive health care needs.