Following Call from Cortez Masto, White House Expands Health Care Access for DACA Recipients

Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

April 13, 2023

Las Vegas, Nev. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement praising the Biden administration for heeding her call to give Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients access to essential health care benefits through Obamacare and Medicaid eligibility. Despite paying taxes, DACA recipients have not been able to obtain health care from these critical programs, and Cortez Masto has called on the administration to issue a rule allowing them to purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA)’s marketplace and to be eligible for comprehensive health insurance under Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program. There are more than 12,000 DACA recipients in the state of Nevada.

“DACA recipients are an essential part of our community in Nevada and they deserve access to quality, affordable health care,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I’m pleased to see the Biden administration is responding to our calls to take this important step and make sure the 12,000 DACA recipients in the state of Nevada, who already pay taxes, can get the health care they need.”

The first and only Latina Senator, Senator Cortez Masto has consistently worked to support immigrant communities in Nevada, leading commonsense legislation to fix our broken immigration system. She pushed back strongly against Trump administration efforts to terminate the DACA program and calling on her Senate colleagues to take action in response to ongoing litigation that could threaten its future.

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