The ACA, designed to provide health coverage and subsidies to U.S. citizens and lawfully present noncitizens, previously excluded DACA recipients from being considered “lawfully present.” Carolina Bortolleto, a co-founder of CT Students for a Dream, an advocacy group for undocumented students and their families, in an interview to CT Mirror, hailed the new regulations as a vital correction to the exclusion established when DACA was introduced in 2012. “This really fixes that exclusion,” Bortolleto stated. “It shows that expanding coverage is something our government officials know is a good thing to do.”

With these updated regulations, DACA recipients will now be eligible to enroll in health coverage through state-based marketplaces like Access Health CT. Depending on their income, address, and household size, they may also qualify for subsidies to help offset the costs of their health plans. Enrollment will be available online, in-person, or by phone. Residents can also seek assistance from enrollment specialists at Access Health CT’s Navigator partner locations.

The Biden administration estimates that over a third of DACA recipients nationwide currently lack health insurance, with the new rule poised to provide coverage for an estimated 100,000 individuals across the country. In Connecticut alone, there are approximately 2,900 DACA recipients, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

While many DACA recipients secure health coverage through their employers or qualify for Medicaid (known as HUSKY in Connecticut), the expansion of ACA access presents a new avenue for obtaining coverage. However, the move may face legal hurdles. A lawsuit filed by Kansas and 18 other states aims to block the new rule, but no decisions have been made yet, meaning DACA recipients will still be eligible for marketplace plans and subsidies as open enrollment begins.

Bortolleto emphasized the broader implications of the federal regulation, noting its potential to support ongoing efforts to expand health coverage to undocumented residents in Connecticut. “It’s particularly significant because here in Connecticut we are fighting to expand access to HUSKY Medicaid to the undocumented population,” she explained. “It also highlights that there’s still a gap that will be left behind, even after DACA recipients are able to access the ACA.”

Currently, Connecticut provides health coverage to children aged 15 and under, as well as to pregnant and postpartum individuals, regardless of immigration status. The effort to extend Medicaid-like coverage to undocumented children has faced multiple challenges. In 2021, lawmakers passed a bill to expand the program to include undocumented children aged 8 and younger, but its launch was delayed until January 1, 2023. In 2022, the scope of the program was broadened to include children aged 12 and younger. A proposal was introduced last year to extend coverage to all individuals aged 25 and younger. However, legislators ultimately decided on a more limited approach, providing coverage for children aged 15 and under, which took effect in July 2024.

As of April, over 11,000 children aged 12 and under, who would not have qualified for Medicaid due to their immigration status, were enrolled in the state-sponsored Medicaid-like program. This number far exceeded the initial estimate of 4,250 enrollees.

People can enroll online www.accesshealthct.com, in person with an access health community partner, or by phone 1-855-805-4325.