Representatives Jayapal, Lee, and Castro and Senators Booker, Durbin, and Hirono Urge Biden Administration to Expand Health Coverage to DACA Recipients

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 -- Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Washington, issued the following news:

Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Barbara Lee (CA-12), and Joaquin Castro (TX-20) joined with Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) to call on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to finalize their proposed rule to expand health coverage for those participating in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, crime victims, and immigrant children.

In April 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed a regulation to make DACA recipients eligible for coverage under Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This rule also enhances coverage for other groups, including those approved for Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status and children applying for humanitarian relief. If this rule is not soon finalized, individuals in need may not be able to fully benefit from the 2024 Affordable Care Act open enrollment period, which began on November 1, 2023.

"DACA recipients are also disproportionately uninsured and tend to experience higher barriers to health care - these trends all contribute to racial health disparities in the U.S. Youth approved for Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status often have to wait years before receiving a status adjustment. Due to confusion around current rule implementation, access to health coverage has been delayed for many," wrote the lawmakers.

The lawmakers requested that the Biden Administration address the following questions:

1. What is preventing HHS from finalizing the rule, and how can congressional allies help address any barriers?

2. When the rule is finalized, what resources will your administration devote to ensuring newly eligible people are aware of their health coverage options? The preamble of the proposed rule stated, "implementation of these changes would be most effective during a period when there are many outreach and enrollment activities occurring." The time to finalize this policy and expand health coverage is now.

The letter was also signed by 98 other House members and four Senators.

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November 13, 2023

To: The Honorable Joseph R. Biden Jr., President of the United States of America, The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20200

Dear President Biden,

We write to request the swift finalization of the proposed rule to expand health coverage for those participating in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, crime victims, and immigrant children, as any further delays will prevent countless families from accessing the health care they deserve.

In April 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed a regulation to make DACA recipients eligible for coverage under Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This rule also enhances coverage for other groups, including those approved for Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status and children applying for humanitarian relief.

If this rule is not soon finalized, individuals in need may not be able to fully benefit from the 2024 Affordable Care Act open enrollment period, which began on November 1, 2023. In the proposed rule, HHS wisely selected this same day for the proposed implementation, allowing newly eligible individuals to benefit from the extensive outreach and enrollment resources dedicated to open enrollment.

DACA recipients are disproportionately from communities of color. DACA recipients are also disproportionately uninsured, and tend to experience higher barriers to health care - these trends all contribute to racial health disparities in the U.S. Youth approved for Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status often have to wait years before receiving a status adjustment. Due to confusion around current rule implementation, access to health coverage has been delayed for many.

For additional transparency into the rulemaking process, we also request you address the following questions:

1. What is preventing HHS from finalizing the rule, and how can congressional allies help address any barriers?

2. When the rule is finalized, what resources will your administration devote to ensuring newly eligible people are aware of their health coverage options?

The preamble of the proposed rule stated, "implementation of these changes would be most effective during a period when there are many outreach and enrollment activities occurring." The time to finalize this policy and expand health coverage is now.

We look forward to receiving your response by November 30, 2023.

View co-signers here: https://lee.house.gov/imo/media/doc/daca_letter.pdf

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Original text here: https://jayapal.house.gov/2023/11/15/representatives-jayapal-lee-and-castro-and-senators-booker-durbin-and-hirono-urge-biden-administration-to-expand-health-coverage-to-daca-recipients/