DACA Recipients Lose ACA Coverage After Policy Reversal

Thousands of DACA recipients, known as Dreamers, are set to lose their Affordable Care Act (ACA) health coverage following a Trump administration policy reversal that bars them from ACA marketplaces. This move immediately affects over 2,300 Dreamers in California and about 500 in New Jersey, with broader nationwide impact expected. The policy reverses a Biden-era update that had temporarily allowed DACA recipients to obtain ACA coverage despite their undocumented status. Critics, including state officials and advocates, argue the change will leave many working, tax-paying individuals and their families without affordable healthcare and increase the uninsured rate. The policy is part of wider federal changes curbing ACA enrollment and Medicaid expansion, with stricter requirements and funding cuts affecting low-income populations. Ongoing legal challenges by state attorneys general and advocates aim to block or reverse these new restrictions.