THIS TIME ON CODE WACK!
As federal officials carry out large-scale, military-style raids and widespread arrests of undocumented immigrants, another fight is quietly brewing — one that could push thousands of people off their health insurance.
More than half a million young people who were brought to the U.S. as children and grew up here could soon lose eligibility for affordable and subsidized health coverage. A new rule proposed by the Trump Administration would once again block DACA recipients from buying Marketplace insurance or receiving financial assistance.
What would this mean for their health, their communities and the widening gap in health and economic equity?
To find out, we spoke with Kristin McGuire, Executive Director of Young Invincibles — the nation’s largest young adult policy and advocacy organization — where she leads the charge to amplify the voices of young adults in the political process.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.
SHOW NOTES
WE DISCUSS
Tell us about yourself. What inspired you to champion political and economic opportunities for young adults?
“I’ve been a lifelong advocate. In fact, I’ve been a community organizer since before I knew what community organizing was! Since before President Obama came out and said he was a community organizer. In my family, it’s always been pressed upon us that we have a duty to make conditions better for the folks who come up after us. So I have a funny memory.
“In 12th grade … a ballot initiative was being proposed here in California that would make it easier to try juveniles [as adults]. I was really upset about it. I registered my classmates to vote … everyone who was 18 …. we were going to stop this ballot initiative in its tracks!
“We were wildly unsuccessful, but for me, that sparked how important it was to involve impacted people in policy and advocacy. ” – Kristin McGuire
What is the Trump Administration’s 2025 Marketplace Integrity and Affordability proposed rule, and why should we be concerned about it?
“We need to be concerned about it because it’s going to roll back healthcare coverage and the access gains that we’ve seen since the creation of the Affordable Care Act. And one of the biggest gains will be that it will prevent DACA recipients from enrolling in coverage.
And that’s important because healthcare works best when everyone has the ability to access healthcare. That’s how we can prevent widespread illness. When folks have access to care and quality care, we can do things like get vaccinations or take precautionary death to prevent longer, more expensive illnesses.” – Kristin McGuire
What are the key coverage gains from the Biden administration that Trump’s proposed rule would undo and how would that impact Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals [DACA] recipients?
“First and foremost … Biden … finalized a rule that allowed DACA recipients to qualify for the Affordable Care Act … market-based coverage and the subsidies for the first time.
“Now this was a long way to step toward equitable health coverage and it impacted over 100,000 DACA recipients. In the most basic terms, this allowed them to have the same access to care that [U.S. citizens] have for the same prices. These subsidies are really important again because they make healthcare affordable, because having the system in place doesn’t matter if people cannot afford to utilize it.
“Another one of the gains is that this new rule would [reverse would be to] reclassify DACA recipients as not lawfully present … And that’s a big deal as well ….”
“I don’t know if I can say enough [about] how negatively this will affect the most underserved communities in our country.” – Kristin McGuire
Helpful Links
Young Invincibles
Health Care, Young Invincibles
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Explained, Boundless
DACA recipients will now be eligible for federal health care coverage under new Biden rule, NBC News
DACA Updates: Trump Seeks To Strip Dreamers of ACA Eligibility; Fifth Circuit’s Ruling Goes Into Effect, America’s Voice
2025 Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Proposed Rule, CMS.gov
HHS Proposes To Restrict Marketplace Eligibility, Enrollment, And Affordability In First Major Rule Under Trump Administration (Part 1), Health Affairs
The Role of a Health Insurance Navigator, Verywell Health
Episode Transcript
Read the full episode transcript.
Biography: Kristin McGuire
Kristin McGuire is the Executive Director of Young Invincibles – the nation’s largest young adult policy and advocacy organization, where she leads the charge to amplify the voices of young adults in the political process and expand their economic opportunity.
Kristin is a first generation college student who is driven by a deep understanding of the needs of communities intentionally marginalized and has worked to shift power to young adults from these communities over the last decade.
Keeping true to her commitment to civic engagement and democracy, Kristin is the first African-American elected to Charter Oak Unified Board of Trustees (November 2020) in Covina, CA. Her upbringing, family values, and dedication to the community have led her to fight to ensure educational success for youth at every level and from diverse backgrounds.
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