Thousands of DACA recipients in California lose health coverage this month

Thousands of DACA recipients in California who are no longer eligible for the Affordable Care Act coverage are urged to take action before losing healthcare access at the end of the month.

Last summer, the Biden Administration increased access to health coverage for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients.. The rule allowed Covered California, the state’s health insurance marketplace, to offer health insurance plans to DACA recipients for the first time during its open enrollment period for 2025.

The Trump administration reversed the rule in June, making DACA recipients ineligible, again, to enroll in the Affordable Care Act coverage. Insurance coverage will be terminated on Aug. 31.

The policy change by the Trump Administration rolled back the Biden-era rule and affects more than 2,300 DACA recipients in the state who are currently enrolled in a health plan through Covered California.

Covered California Executive Director Jessica Altman said the updated rule “targets DACA recipients who are working to provide for their families and secure access to essential health insurance.”

“The decision is deeply unfair to hard-working, tax-paying individuals in California who trusted that they would have health insurance for 2025, only to have it stripped away eight months later,” Altman said.

Covered California, like health insurance marketplaces in other states, is required to comply with the new rule.

While Covered California officials hoped for a different outcome for DACA recipients, Altman said the agency is providing DACA recipients “with information and resources to understand what is happening and find other health insurance options.”

Covered California is urging DACA recipients to explore health insurance options and stay covered to protect against financial hardship in the event of an emergency.

DACA recipients currently enrolled through Covered California may still qualify for other health insurance options such as private health insurance or Medi-Cal, depending on income and household size.

United Health Centers serves about 175,000 people in the Central Valley, many of them either on Medi-Cal or Covered California plans. Justin Preas, president and chief executive office for United Health Centers of the San Joaquin Valley, said it’s unclear how many patients who are DACA recipients with Covered California plans would be impacted by the termination of health coverage on Aug. 31.

“We do see patients that are on the Covered California plans,” Preas said, adding that the “majority of our patients fall below the income guidelines for the Medi-Cal program.”

Health Access California urges DACA recipients currently enrolled in Covered California to prioritize getting health care — such as routine checkups, prescriptions refills or mental health support — before their plans get canceled.

Health Access California said the policy change by the to exclude DACA recipients is cruel and “strips vital care from Californians and harms our communities.”

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