Biden Announces Plan to Allow 100,000 Migrants to Enroll in Obamacare

An estimated 100,000 immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children are expected to enroll in health insurance under the Affordable Care Act next year, following a new directive issued by the Biden administration on Friday.

The directive, which took longer than anticipated to finalize, falls short of President Biden’s initial proposal to allow these migrants to sign up for Medicaid, the health insurance program that offers nearly free coverage to the country’s poorest individuals.

Although the move may help Biden appeal to Latino voters at a crucial time, it is likely to draw criticism from conservatives regarding the administration’s border and migrant policies.

The new directive allows participants in the DACA program, many of whom are Latino, to access tax breaks when they enroll in health coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace opening on Nov. 1.

Xavier Becerra, the nation’s top health official, stated that many of these migrants have delayed seeking care due to lack of coverage, resulting in higher costs and debts when they do receive care.

The Biden administration’s action changes the definition of “lawfully present” to allow DACA participants to enroll in the marketplace exchange, providing them with access to health coverage.

Although the proposal to expand Medicaid eligibility for these migrants did not move forward after receiving over 20,000 comments, more than 800,000 migrants are eligible to enroll in marketplace coverage, with an estimated 100,000 expected to sign up.

Other classes of immigrants, such as asylum seekers and those with temporary protected status, are already eligible to purchase insurance through the marketplaces of the Affordable Care Act.