The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of the Treasury on Tuesday approved a proposal from the state of Washington to provide illegal migrants with health insurance.
"Washington has requested a waiver in order to expand access to qualified health plans, stand-alone qualified dental plans, and a state affordability program to Washington residents regardless of immigration status," a joint statement from the two federal agencies read. "The waiver will help Washington work towards its goals of improving health equity and reducing racial disparities by expanding access to coverage for the uninsured population through the state Exchange, all the while not increasing costs for those currently enrolled."
The scheme would require a rollback in provisions outlined in the Affordable Care Act, which normally excludes non-citizens from receiving ACA benefits, according to Fox News. The ACA does, however, include a provision by which states may seek a federal waiver of its provisions to experiment with unconventional methods aimed at improving healthcare access.
Federal approval of the plan comes the same day as a significantly large illegal border crossing occurred. On Tuesday, roughly 1,000 migrants, traveling on nearly 20 busses, entered the United States via El Paso, Texas, after receiving financial support from the Mexican government and a police escort.
Illegal migration has reached historic levels under the Biden administration, with roughly 2.4 million entering the U.S. during fiscal year 2022 alone and nearly 4 million doing so since President Joe Biden took office in January of 2021. Authorities expect those numbers to surge even higher once the Title 42 immigration enforcement provision ends next week.
