The Biden administration plans to expand health care coverage to young migrants who have been in the country illegally since childhood, the White House said in a statement on Thursday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th April, 2023) The Biden administration plans to expand health care coverage to young migrants who have been in the country illegally since childhood, the White House said in a statement on Thursday.
The plan would allow so-called "dreamers," or young people who are enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, to apply for Medicaid and Affordable Care Act coverage, the White House said.
"Today President Joe Biden is announcing a plan to expand health coverage for DACA recipients," the White House statement said. "We recognize that every day counts, and we expect to get this done by the end of the month."
The White House said the Department of Health and Human Services would soon propose a rule to amend the definition of "lawful presence" to allow DACA recipients to apply for coverage through the Health Insurance marketplace, where they can qualify if they meet certain income requirements.
DACA was launched by the Obama administration in 2012. It permits children of illegal immigrants who were brought to the United States under the age of 16 to remain in the country, provided they arrived by 2007. The program does not currently provide permanent lawful status to its recipients but has protected some 700,000 young people from deportation.
