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In Kentucky in 2016, Maggie Chism welcomed her daughter Evelyn into the world. From the very beginning, Evelyn faced enormous medical challenges. Diagnosed in utero with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, she underwent three open heart surgeries before her fourth birthday. During her second surgery, Maggie found herself fighting a battle on two fronts, for her […]

Brian, a Philadelphia resident, has relied heavily on Medicaid for nearly two decades. Paralyzed at the age of 27 from gunshot wounds, he has spent nearly 20 years managing a series of serious health complications, including recurring bed sores and bone infections. Now, in his late 40s, the incoming Medicaid cuts aren’t just unsettling, they […]

Syd Wurdeman, an attorney from Nebraska’s Second Congressional District, says Medicaid provides more reliable coverage than she ever received through a parent or employer. “I think I have better experience on Medicaid than I do insurance through my parents or my jobs,” she said. For Syd, access to Medicaid is essential. She lives with autism, ADHD […]

Jennifer Taskey has turned to Medicaid during some of the most challenging moments in her life. Now 41 and living in Cleveland, Ohio, with her three children, she reflects on how vital that support has been. For her, Medicaid has often meant the difference between stability and crisis, between receiving care and going without. She first enrolled […]

Amarin Reyny lives in a group home for disabled people in Maine where direct support professionals provide care 24/7 to help them with daily needs. They depend entirely on MaineCare, Maine’s Medicaid program, to cover nearly all their medical care and support services. They cope with dissociative identity disorder, or DID, a condition caused by […]

Dr. Jessica Lee, a child clinical psychologist, specializes in working with neurodivergent individuals, including those with autism and ADHD. She provides therapy, evaluations and consultations as part of an interdisciplinary team for diverse, underserved youth and families. She also leads community outreach through a Department of Developmental Services (DDS) grant to support underserved racial and […]

Paul Miller came into the world under precarious circumstances. Born a twin in 1958, he and his brother arrived early and fragile. “My mother had sepsis and almost died before we were born,” he said. The environment was hostile, but they survived. That early fight shaped how he would face everything that followed. Paul’s life has […]

Without Medicaid, Jennifer Marion says she doesn’t know where she’d be today. An Iowa resident, diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2007 at just 26 years old, Jennifer’s journey began with a terrifying symptom: sudden vision loss in her left eye. Though her sight eventually returned, MS has continued to shape her life in invisible but […]

Kay Marcel lives in Urbandale, Iowa, where she and her husband have spent a lifetime ensuring their son Joel can live a full, safe, and meaningful life. Joel is 46 years old and has Down syndrome, along with several health conditions that require daily monitoring and consistent care. Through Iowa’s Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver […]