Pushing for a modification to a health care rule: 6,000 Dreamers in Colorado could be eligible for Medicaid
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)--In 2012, President Obama announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program also known as DACA. Since its launch, the program has helped more than 800,000 DACA recipients, also known as Dreamers, go on to higher education, find stable jobs, and advance in their careers.
This month, the Department of Health and Human Services is pushing for a modification to a healthcare rule that would essentially help give affordable healthcare access to hundreds of thousands of Dreamers.
Yoselin Meza's parents brought her to the United States from Guatemala as a young girl.
She's one of 6,000 Colorado Dreamers that pay a higher bill when going to the doctor because she's not an American citizen.
"So it's a struggle for me to pay out of pocket for some services and for me especially, I just had a baby." General visits and my prenatal appointments, you know they stack up on me."
The Department of Health and Human Services just proposed a rule change to allow Dreamers to apply for Medicaid coverage. Meza says if it passes, it will significantly change her and her son's life.
"I want my baby of course to benefit from that and myself because I am the mom of the baby and for other recipients, I'm sure it will help them as well too, because we don't have that many resources as far health care and really anything in general."
The Biden Administration estimates around 129,000 DACA recipients could benefit from the rule change.
If Medicaid coverage is extended to Dreamers, it would only apply to those who have lived in the country since before 2007. Meza believes it could help more people get the medical care they need.
"So definitely this will be a big help because people will start going to doctor checkups now and they will be able to know whats going on with them and you know go into surgery, go get medication as needed."
If the rule expanding Medicaid coverage to Dreamers is finalized, it would be effective November 1st. Those who are qualified would have a 60-day special enrollment period.
