Congressman Raul Ruiz’s Statement on the Expansion of the Affordable Care Act to DACA Recipients

"I applaud the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to ensuring affordable, quality health care is within reach for DACA recipients, commonly known as Dreamers," said Dr. Raul Ruiz. "I've worked to secure solutions that support Dreamers who are working and contributing to our country. California is home to nearly 165,000 Dreamers who play a crucial role in our economy and society, and this rule ensures health care coverage is available and accessible to all."

Background:

This rule ensures DACA recipients will no longer be excluded from eligibility to enroll in a Qualified Health Plan (QHP) through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Health Insurance Marketplace, or for coverage through a Basic Health Program (BHP). The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service estimates that this rule could lead to 100,000 previously uninsured DACA recipients enrolling in health coverage through Marketplaces or a BHP. Currently, DACA recipients are three times more likely to be uninsured than the general U.S. population.