Covered California Is Dropping DACA Recipients. What's Available Now?

Leer en español

On Aug. 31, Covered California, the state’s health insurance marketplace, will stop offering coverage to residents who are part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

This means DACA recipients who currently have health insurance through Covered California, approximately 2,300 people statewide, will lose their existing coverage by the end of the month.

State officials are complying with new rules from President Donald Trump’s administration, which block DACA recipients from seeking insurance in state marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act and also disqualify them from federal funds to help pay for their health plans.

“We were at the start of a journey to expand coverage to our DACA recipients and were incredibly excited to do that,” said Jessica Altman, executive director of Covered California. “Unfortunately, we’re gonna have to move backwards.”

If you’re on DACA or you know someone who is, keep reading for what to know about these upcoming changes to Covered California.

Which DACA recipients are affected by these new rules?

More than 164,000 DACA recipients live in California. Many of them have health insurance through their jobs, their family or through Medi-Cal (the state’s Medicaid program).

If this is your situation, these changes at the federal level will not impact your coverage.

If you bought your plan by visiting the Covered California website or calling the agency’s number or signed up with the help of a community organization, you’ll receive a letter, email or call in the coming days from a Covered California representative about your coverage ending.

If you have health insurance but don’t remember how you found your plan, you can double-check by logging into Covered California’s website or calling directly at 800-300-1506.

“The vast majority of DACA recipients in California are not going to see changes in their coverage,” Altman said. “You can always call Covered California and double-check if you want to be sure.”

If I’m about to lose my Covered California health care because I’m on DACA, what can I do?

The best thing you can do right now is educate yourself on how your access to health care will change, Altman said. After Aug. 31, DACA recipients who lose their Covered California plans can still get health care through other methods:

An employer

If you currently work for an employer that offers health care benefits or you know you will in the future, ask your boss or human resources department about what you need to join a plan.

A family member

If their job covers your spouse or parents, check in with them about possibly joining their plan as a dependent. Some companies even allow domestic partners to be added, but this varies by employer.

Medi-Cal (aka Medicaid in California)

More than 1.6 million low-income undocumented Californians are currently covered by an extension of Medi-Cal that is solely funded by the state, not the federal government. After Aug. 31, DACA recipients will have to contact their county’s Medi-Cal office directly to apply for coverage. (Check the income-based eligibility limits for Medi-Cal.)

Keep in mind, however, that time is running out for this option: state officials plan to freeze new Medi-Cal enrollment for undocumented immigrants who are 19 and older at the start of 2026.

Your county

A few Bay Area counties have programs that help cover the costs of specific health services for uninsured people, which don’t exclude DACA recipients, including:

• Healthy San Francisco, which covers primary and specialty care for city residents who don’t qualify for Medi-Cal or Covered California, regardless of immigration status
• Contra Costa County’s Basic Health Care program for people making less than 300% of the federal poverty level who can’t join Medi-Cal

Other counties, like Santa Clara, have their own health systems and offer financial aid for certain treatments, depending on your income.

Individual health plans

While DACA recipients can no longer look for new health care plans on the Covered California website after Aug. 25, you can still go to the websites of individual insurance companies and buy a plan. But without the subsidies from Covered California, you would have to pay for the full cost of premiums and deductibles.

Community clinics

If you end up uninsured for some time after Aug. 31, remember that there are multiple community clinics in California that offer basic care for free or at a sliding scale. The services provided by these clinics, however, are limited and cannot match the range covered by an HMO or PPO plan.

In the Bay Area, some community clinics serving uninsured residents are:

San Francisco Free Clinic: Offers primary care to uninsured people. To make an appointment, call 415-750-9894 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Located at 4900 California St., in San Francisco.

RotaCare Bay Area Clinics: A network of volunteers travel around the Bay Area staffing clinics that serve uninsured residents a few times each month. Locations served include Daly City, Half Moon Bay, Pittsburg, San José, San Pablo and San Rafael.

Ashland Free Medical Clinic: Offers remote and in-person primary care, optometry and mental health services on Saturdays. Call 510-407-2362 ahead of time to check eligibility. Located at 6539 Ashland Ave., in San Lorenzo.

Jewish Community Free Clinic: Offers primary care, testing, acupuncture and therapy services. Fill out an online form to request an appointment, which can also happen virtually. Located at 50 Montgomery Drive, in Santa Rosa.

Keep communicating with your doctors

As you decide what you’ll do after Aug. 31, keep your primary care doctor, along with any specialists you see, in the loop about your situation. If you end up changing your healthcare provider, let your doctor know ahead of time so they can advise you on how you can access your medical information once you make the switch.

If you are receiving treatment for a chronic health condition, make a plan with your physician on how to continue receiving the care you need after Aug. 31.

If you go to therapy with your old health plan and will be uninsured after Aug. 31, you can ask your therapist to refer you to sliding-scale therapy services or check out KQED’s guide on how to find affordable therapy in the Bay Area.