Unless changes are announced by May 31, open enrollment in several health plans covered by the ACA, the Affordable Care Act, will end that day. The ACA, which is also known as Obamacare because it was implemented by then-President Barack Obama in 2010, has greatly benefited the Latino community nationwide. Since the beginning of that initiative, our Hispanic Federation has informed the Hispanic population about it, and, equally important, has helped with the enrollment of individuals and families in various plans.
These are Medicaid, Child Health Plus, the Essential Plan or Essential Plan, and Qualified Plans. Each of them targets a different segment of the population, and especially favors people and families with limited resources. By decision of the New York State Department of Health, registration will remain open until the public health emergency situation due to COVID 19 ends. This is scheduled for May 31.
Until then, those who are doing so for the first time, those who have lost their old health insurance, and those who want to switch to another can enroll in these plans. But starting June 1, only people who meet certain requirements will be able to register or re-register. Typically, people in extraordinary circumstances or whose lives have had life changes, such as marriage, divorce, or moving from another state.
If you want more information, contact the Hispanic Federation staff tomorrow by calling our toll-free, bilingual line at (833) 656-2626.
Citizenship procedure
The federation also provides assistance to those who want to apply for US citizenship. As long as, of course, they meet the legal requirements to naturalize. Among them, having five years of documented residence in the country, or three years if they have married a citizen of the United States who sponsors them.
Another immigration procedure with which the federation helps is the renewal of DACA, which are the initials of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. That is the protection that President Obama ordered in 2012 for dreamers, the dreamers. That is, the undocumented young people who were brought to the United States by their relatives – also undocumented, obviously – and who grew up here.
These young people – who for practical purposes are Americans and who in many cases are already adults – are still unable to obtain citizenship, but if they applied for it before 2022, they are still protected by DACA.
Since that year, unfortunately, no one else can benefit from DACA. However, those who were previously benefited can and should renew that protection.
In addition to the assistance we can give you at the Hispanic Federation, we can also refer you to our community organizations that provide this help.
So I say goodbye by encouraging you to call this other toll-free and bilingual line of the federation: (888) 230-8275.
Celebrate with us the 34th anniversary of the Hispanic Federation, and until the next column!
Frankie Miranda is the president of the Hispanic Federation