Insurance Commissioner Lara supports expanding access to federal health programs to DACA recipients
News: 2023 Press Release
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara today made the following statement on a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in support for expanding health care coverage to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. The Commissioner’s comments were submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Clarifying Eligibility for Qualified Health Plan Through an Exchange, Advanced Payments of Premium Tax Credit, Cost Sharing Reductions, a Basic Health Program, and for Some Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs:
“I am supporting changes to eligibility rules to health exchanges because increasing access to affordable, equitable, and comprehensive health insurance coverage is a right, not a privilege. In California, we believe unequivocally in the values of fairness and inclusion, and a person’s immigration status should not determine whether or not they receive life-saving care.”
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Media Notes:
- As a State Senator, Commissioner Lara authored Health4All Kids covering all children up to age 18 and introduced the first bills to cover all older adults, regardless of immigration status.
- The letter can be accessed here
Led by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, the California Department of Insurance is the consumer protection agency for the nation's largest insurance marketplace and safeguards all of the state’s consumers by fairly regulating the insurance industry. Under the Commissioner’s direction, the Department uses its authority to protect Californians from insurance rates that are excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory, oversee insurer solvency to pay claims, set standards for agents and broker licensing, perform market conduct reviews of insurance companies, resolve consumer complaints, and investigate and prosecute insurance fraud. Consumers are urged to call 1-800-927-4357 with any questions or contact us at www.insurance.ca.gov via webform or online chat. Non-media inquiries should be directed to the Consumer Hotline at 800-927-4357. Teletypewriter (TTY), please dial 800-482-4833.
