Jesseca Lockie: Protecting Programs That Protect Children’s Lives

For Jesseca Lockie, a mother in Nevada, protecting her son’s life means navigating a complex and costly health care system. When her child was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder at eight months old, she quickly discovered that even with private insurance, essential treatments were financially out of reach. That’s when the Katie Beckett program became her family’s lifeline.

The Katie Beckett program allows children with serious health conditions to qualify for Medicaid based on their medical needs, not their parents’ income. It was created to help families like Jesseca’s keep their children at home and give them the care they need.

For Jesseca, this has been essential, not just for her son’s health, but for their daily life. Before his diagnosis, she had a career as a teacher and was on the path to becoming a counselor. But because of his blood disorder, daycares won’t accept him, fearing liability if he were injured. Katie Beckett makes it possible for Jesseca to stay home, ensuring he is in a safe environment while receiving the specialized care he needs.

Jesseca’s son requires weekly infusions to prevent dangerous internal bleeding and keep him alive. With copays totaling over $8,000 a month, the cost of treatment was far beyond what her family could afford. Her husband works full time, but like many middle-class families, they didn’t qualify for traditional Medicaid, and their private insurance fell short.

The application process for Katie Beckett was long and emotionally draining. It took over six months to get approved, months filled with mounting medical bills and constant worry. At one point, Jesseca’s son had to be life-flighted to a children’s hospital. “The airplane ride was over $10,000,” she said, pointing out the high cost of care. The family also had to start a GoFundMe campaign to try to keep up with bills.

But when their application for Katie Beckett was finally approved, everything changed. Medicaid began covering the $8,000 monthly co-pay for her son’s infusions, along with many of the emergency costs that had threatened to bankrupt the family. “Just having Katie Beckett relieves stress on our family,” Jesseca shared. “We don’t have to worry about how we’re going to pay for his treatment. It’s truly been an amazing program.”

Even when her son needed a higher dosage or additional scans after a fall, Medicaid was there. Jesseca explained, “If he falls or something happens, I’m not stressed like, ‘Oh my gosh, how much is this co-pay gonna be?’ I know that we’re covered.”

Families in Nevada pay a monthly fee to participate in the Katie Beckett program, based on their income. Jesseca says she doesn’t mind contributing what she can, but she fears what might happen if those costs were to increase. She doesn’t want her family to have to make impossible choices, like whether to buy groceries or her son’s life-saving medicine. “I don’t think it’s fair to put families under stress when there’s medicine that he has to have or else he would die,” she said.

Thanks to Katie Beckett, Jesseca and her family can focus on their son’s health, not the next medical bill. And they’re not alone. Across the country, thousands of families rely on Katie Beckett to ensure their children with disabilities or complex medical needs get the care they deserve at home.