Heidi Pomerleau has lived in Salt Lake City for twenty years and proudly calls it home. Permanently disabled, Heidi is currently well covered by both Medicaid and Medicare; however, finally getting this coverage required years of navigating systemic barriers to coverage. After decades of navigating the health care system, Heidi has experienced the consequences of […]
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Joyce Clark Turner, Utah
Joyce Clark Turner is currently living in Salt Lake City, Utah and training at the University of Utah to be an advocate for those with mental health challenges. She has worked multiple careers throughout her life and has experience navigating the health care system as both an employer and an employee. Along with this, she […]
Christian Peoples, Missouri
Christian Peoples lives in St. Louis, Missouri, with her two children, both of whom have been diagnosed with autism. All three of them rely on Medicaid to access health care coverage, which has been an immense help through tough times. “It’s amazing to know that you have the resources to get through some things that […]
Sara Goodrich, Maine
Sara Goodrich and her husband are both 44 and live in Maine. She works as a massage therapist, and he works as a carpenter. Because they are self-employed, they have relied on the Affordable Care Act for their health coverage for the last decade. She recalled, “We have used Obamacare since its inception really and I can […]
Hillary Harris, Missouri
Hillary Harris lives in Sikeston, Missouri with her three daughters, who are all under the age of ten. Medicaid has been absolutely crucial in providing her and her family what they need to stay safe and healthy, both mentally and physically. “My connection to Medicaid goes deeper than just it being insurance,” she shared. Medicaid […]
Emma Brownstein, Utah
Emma Brownstein has spent her entire life in Utah where she was born and raised and recently completed both her undergraduate and master’s degrees in game development at the University of Utah. Now, Emma is trying to navigate a challenging job market in the gaming industry. Emma searched for a job in the games industry […]
Ashley James, West Virginia
Ashley James lives in Jefferson County, West Virginia with her husband who is a disabled veteran. Together they have ten children, and their youngest is 16 years old. She describes herself as a newly married wife and a working mother who depends on Medicaid to stay healthy and able to do her job. She says […]
Sarah Allen, West Virgina
Sarah Allen is 29 years old and has lived in Princeton, West Virginia all her life. Being blind shapes every part of her daily reality. “Being blind means that I just I can’t see, so sight is not my world. I hear things better than anything, and hearing is more my world. So, for example, […]
Cameo Sampson, West Virginia
Cameo Sampson is a mom living in Beckley, West Virginia, with her husband and their two daughters. Cathryn is 15 and Evelyn is 13 and lives with Down syndrome and several other medical complications. Evelyn has been on Medicaid since she was about four years old. Cameo described the challenges of getting her enrolled. “The […]
Maureen Malesco, New Jersey
Maureen Malesco of Middletown, New Jersey, utilizes Medicaid to support her daughter, Mairead, who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at 19 months. “At the time, which was 1999, she was the youngest person in New Jersey to have been diagnosed with autism,” Maureen recalled. Mairead has grown into a capable adult who works at […]