J’cans leaders in the diaspora welcome Obamacare extension to DACA recipients

NEW YORK:

The decision by the Biden-Harris administration to extend healthcare coverage to DACA recipients has been welcomed by Jamaican community leaders in the diaspora.

In 2012, former US President Barack Obama and then Vice-President Biden created the DACA policy to transform the lives of eligible ‘Dreamers’ – young Caribbean and other immigrants who came to the United States as children–allowing them to live and work lawfully in the US.

On Friday, Biden expanded the policy, allowing DACA recipients access to healthcare coverage through the Affordable Care Act.

Biden, in a White House statement, said, “Over the last decade, DACA has brought stability, possibility, and progress to hundreds of thousands of Dreamers.”

Starting in November, the US president said DACA recipients can apply for coverage through HealthCare.gov and state-based marketplaces, where they may qualify for financial assistance to help them purchase quality health insurance.

“Four out of five consumers have found a plan for less than US$10 a month, with millions saving an average of about US$800 a year on their premiums,” he said, stating that the final rule delivers on his commitment by giving DACA recipients “that same peace and opportunity”.

Congresswoman Yvette Clarke from Brooklyn, who is of Jamaican descent, told the Caribbean Media Corporation:

“Our nation’s Dreamers have long represented an irreplaceable part of the great mosaic that is America. That is why I am proud to celebrate today’s announcement from the Biden-Harris administration that will allow eligible DACA recipients greater access to federally run health insurance,” said Clarke.

“This new rule represents the next chapter in our fight to deliver to Dreamers the lives they deserve. But despite this significant progress, we cannot forget that we must continue to deliver a pathway to citizenship and permanent status. Alongside the tireless efforts of the administration and the support of immigrant families in communities nationwide, I am certain we will succeed,” she said.

She said that through the administration’s actions, nearly 100,000 previously uninsured participants in the DACA programme will have the opportunity to access affordable, quality health insurance.The US Ctizenship and Immigration website, www.uscis.gov, notes just under 3,000 Jamaicans in the programme.

Irwine Clare, head of the Queens-based Caribbean Immigration Service, an organisation which assists persons with their immigration issues, also welcomed the decision.

“For all those who will now be covered, this is a very welcomed move,” he said.

Clare also sees an economic benefit to expending healthcare insurance to DACA recipients, noting that many are without proper healthcare.

Noting that some states are hostile to immigrants, he said that by extending federal-mandated healthcare insurance to Dreamers, it removes one thing for them to worry about.

“Many DACA recipients are unable to afford healthcare, given the cost. This way they will now be able to have insurance for themselves and their families,” he said.

Former Broward County Commissioner, Jamaican Dale Holness, said the expansion of Obamacare to cover Dreamers is something that should have been done a long time ago.

He also called for those who have temporary protected status to also be included in the coverage.

Holness said that this will also have a beneficial cost to hospitals and the community as a whole, as many such persons only seek medical care when an emergency arises.

“In many instances, it is local taxpayers and property owners who pay for such emergency care of people without insurance coverage,” he said.

Florida-based immigration attorney, Jamaican Michelle Flanger, described the move as “awesome”.

She said that because of their status and due to fear, many seek back-door medical treatment, usually receiving substandard healthcare.

“With the expansion of coverage to DACA recipients, they will now be able to get healthcare insurance coverage, which means that they can now access proper healthcare,” she said.

According to the US Centres for Medicine and Medicaid Services, the new rule will result in an estimated 100,000 newly eligible DACA recipients enrolled in the healthcare plan, which will take effect on November 1, 2024.