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Latrita McFadden noticed from the beginning that her son, Anthony Burke, always walked on his tiptoes. He began to complain that his knees hurt, but doctor after doctor said he would grow out of it. Anthony fared well enough until he started school, where he was taunted about his walk as well as a speech impairment. He became withdrawn in class and his first-grade teacher held him back. Things changed dramatically when Anthony enrolled in…
Edward Henry, age 64, lives independently now, following three years in nursing homes after he lost both legs to an infection. Edward’s goal was always to live again on his own, and he was able to make this transition through Georgia Medicaid’s “Money Follows the Person” (MFP) program. Under MFP, the federal government provides states with enhanced Medicaid matching funds to help individuals receiving care in institutions move back to the community. MFP helped Edward…
Heather Holloway, age 39, has a congenital disorder that left her with permanently dislocated hips and knees. She also struggles with depression. Heather relies on Medicaid to cover her health care needs, which are modest but critical. She needs regular check-ups and preventive care, prescription medicine for her depression, new crutches every several years, and dental care. After Michigan eliminated vision benefits for adults in Medicaid, Heather had to buy glasses on her own, using…
Sarah Borscha, age 6, was born with Apert’s syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that disrupts normal bone growth and causes malformations of the skull, face, hands and feet. The medical costs associated with Sarah’s care are enormous. She has already required numerous surgeries, and her needs for special shoes and foot braces, prescription medications, and speech and physical therapy, are ongoing. As she grows, she is likely to need additional operations on her face, mouth…
Karen Palacios, age 42, suffers from multiple chronic conditions, including diabetes, a thyroid condition, effects of a stroke, and depression. Karen has both Medicare and Medicaid due to her disability and low-income. For seven years, she lived in a nursing home because she could no longer perform basic everyday activities on her own. However, through Medicaid’s “Money Follows the Person” (MFP) initiative, Karen was able to make the transition back to living independently in the…
When Carmen Rosado got divorced a few years ago, she and her two teen daughters, Crystal and Nelly, lost their private health insurance. Carmen took a new job working nights, but it offered no health coverage and, without Medicaid, the family would have been uninsured. With Medicaid, Crystal and Nelly have stayed up-to-date on their well-child visits and immunizations, and the eyeglasses they need and the doctor visits they occasionally make when they get sick…
Brenda Christiansen, age 52, was diagnosed with breast cancer about a year ago. When she first noticed a worrisome lump, she was in the three-month waiting period for the health insurance offered through the nursing job she had recently taken. Within days of qualifying for this coverage, she was laid off. Uninsured and facing this diagnosis, Brenda was eligible to enroll in Utah Medicaid’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Program. This Medicaid program…
Kay Dickerson, age 57, is a Hurricane Katrina survivor. After the storm, Kay and her husband, Tom, relocated to Portland, Oregon. During her intake at the welcome center, Kay, who had long been uninsured, was diagnosed with anxiety, depression, PTSD, high blood pressure, and diabetes. She was guided to a community health center and the staff there helped her apply for the Oregon Health Plan (OHP), Oregon
Matthew Bardgett, age 50, was left paraplegic by a car accident at age 19. Matt ultimately returned to work, but with no coverage offered through his job, and unable to get private coverage due to his pre-existing condition, he remained uninsured for 20 years. For cost reasons, Matt often delayed getting needed care. In 2002, Matt enrolled in Kansas’ Working Healthy program, which enables working individuals with disabilities to get Medicaid by paying a premium.…
Darius, age 9, was born with periventricular leukomalacia, a brain injury that causes frequent seizures, as well as central apnea, a condition that often causes him to stop breathing. He also has mild cerebral palsy, which impairs his mobility, balance, and reflexes. Since Darius was born, Medicaid has covered his specialist care, hospital care, prescription drugs, oxygen regulator and other medical equipment, and other services that have saved his life and significantly mitigated the neurological…
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