Cortez Masto, Booker Urge Administration to Help Dreamers Access Health Coverage

There are more than 10,000 DACA recipients in the state of Nevada

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined a bicameral effort, led by Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J), calling on Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra to ensure a smooth roll out of the Biden administration's new rule expanding health insurance coverage to tax-paying DACA recipients. The new policy, which Cortez Masto successfully pushed HHS to adopt, allows Dreamers to purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA)'s marketplace starting November 1, 2024. In their letter, the lawmakers outline the steps the administration must take for successful implementation-including making sure Dreamers are aware of their new eligibility for health coverage, helping them navigate registration, and addressing enrollment barriers.

"We write to request that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) allocate adequate resources for outreach to and enrollment assistance for DACA recipients newly eligible for Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance," the senators wrote. "For this expansion to be successful, HHS must ensure that every newly eligible individual is fully informed and supported during the enrollment process."

"We also urge you to minimize the chances of DACA recipients encountering barriers to enrollment in healthcare.gov or marketplace coverage," the senators continued.

In addition to Senators Cortez Masto and Booker, the letter is signed by Senators Jacky Rosen, Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Angus King (I-Maine), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.).

The full text of the letter is available HERE.

The first and only Latina Senator, Senator Cortez Masto has consistently pushed to fix our broken immigration system by balancing critical border security measures with a path to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS holders, and essential workers. She's an original cosponsor of the Dream Act to provide relief for DACA recipients, and she's leading legislation to allow them to work in Congress. She successfullypushed the administration to expand health care access for DACA recipients, and she's led calls to address delays in DACA renewal applications and make it easier for mixed status families, family caregivers, and hardworking immigrant families to stay together.

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