Recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) can now be eligible to obtain medical coverage in the Health Market 2025 and apply between November 1 and 30 to start your coverage on December 1
This important advance in the health of thousands of immigrants was announced at a press conference held at the Charlotte Center for Legal Aid (CCLA), together with the NC Navigator Consortium, where experts explained about this final regulation in the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
More than 20,000 dreamers can benefit in North Carolina
In North Carolina more than 20,000 beneficiaries DACA recipients will be able to purchase a health insurance, in the same way as any eligible person, thanks to a new rule that benefits these immigrants and other groups with “legal presence” in the country.
One of the beneficiaries of this new regulation, Eréndira “Endy” Méndez, who in addition to being a navigator for the NC Navigator Consortium in Winston-Salem, is also a DACA beneficiary and is currently fighting for her health due to the kidney failure she suffers from and how the lack of health insurance had a great impact on her life the last two years.
“Now I am very happy because dreamers like me can now access low-cost health insurance and be able to apply for assistance to be able to pay the premiums for these insurances. For me as a dialysis patient, health insurance is a matter of life or death,” Méndez told Enlace Latino NC during the event.
Special enrollment period for DACA
Natalie Marles, CCLA Navigator Team Leader, provided an important update regarding the special enrollment period for DACA recipients.
“This period begins today, allowing DACA recipients to sign up for coverage between November 1 and November 30, with coverage beginning December 1,” Marles said during a launch event for the 2025 Health Marketplace.
“This change allows beneficiaries to secure coverage for both the current year and the next,” Marles added.
The same coverage and subsidies
Nicholas Riggs, director of the NC Navigator Consortium, highlighted that previously in the Health Marketplace, DACA was not recognized as a legal status, so they could not have medical coverage under ACA or the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as “Obamacare.”
“There will be a couple of questions on the application to establish whether the applicant is DACA, and is eligible for health coverage. And it is the same coverage, the same subsidies that all other applicants on the marketplace are eligible for,” Riggs told Enlace Latino NC.
Riggs explained that, like anyone else enrolled in the marketplace, DACA recipients are eligible for plans that cost less than $10 a month.
“The plans cover all essential health benefits from doctor visits, hospitalizations, mental health care, so the comprehensive plans are affordable,” the official stressed.
Following the event, several bilingual CCLA navigators were assisting people who came to the organization's headquarters to obtain coverage.
What other “lawfully present” immigrants qualify?
According to the HealthCare.gov website, the term “lawfully present” includes immigrants who have:
- Qualified Non-Citizen Immigrant Status
- Humanitarian status or circumstances (DACA, TPS, Special Juvenile Status (SIJS), asylum seekers, Convention Against Torture, victims of trafficking)
- Valid nonimmigrant visas
- Legal status conferred by other laws (temporary resident status, LIFE Act, Family Unit individuals)
Related: How to apply for Medicaid in North Carolina?
Federally Certified Navigators
As a member of the NC Navigator Consortium, CCLA Navigators are available to provide free, unbiased advice to residents of Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, and Union counties.
Navigators are federally certified and can provide information about insurance plan options offered by the Marketplace, as well as cost-sharing reductions and eligibility for premium tax credits.
“It’s important to remember that those who are eligible for Medicaid can also use our health insurance navigators to learn more and enroll,” Riggs said.
Organizations will be providing additional assistance to consumers who have disabilities, do not speak English or are unfamiliar with health insurance.
How to register in the Insurance Market
There are several ways to enroll in the Marketplace through these organizations by phone and online:
With the Charlotte Center for Legal Aid (CCLA) Free appointments with a local navigator can be made using the statewide appointment hotline at: 1-855-733-3711 or locally at: 980-256-3782. Also online
With the NC Navigator Consortium is the only federally funded navigator entity in the state, serving all 100 counties in North Carolina. The consortium is led by Legal Aid of North Carolina.
You can go to the website of NC Navigator Consortium
You can also call: 1-855-733-3711, where they serve from Monday to Sunday in Spanish and other languages.
You can obtain more information in Spanish about the Insurance Marketplace and coverage for “lawfully present” immigrants on the website Health Care.gov
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