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Michelle Foster and her four-month-old baby, Anthwonnia, have both benefited from Medicaid. With Medicaid, Michelle received all her prenatal care on time, and, when she developed gestational diabetes, she was able to get the specialist care that she needed as well.
Patricia Clark, now 86, went into the hospital about four years ago for a hip replacement. Patricia had had health problems over the years, but was doing well at the time, except that her declining mobility was making it increasingly difficult to live independently. Her doctors expected her to fare better with a new hip.
Caleb Garcia, age 5, was born with impaired hearing and vision, developmental delays, and physical disabilities, all due to a virus that his mother contracted during her pregnancy. Caleb’s father, Manuel, credits his son’s unexpected progress to the care he has been receiving since birth through Medicaid.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sheila Malone, 66, suffers from a multitude of health problems due to her exposure to DES, a drug her mother took while pregnant with Sheila to reduce her risk of a miscarriage. Sheila has had many kinds of cancer, beginning in childhood, as well as numerous bone deformities and polio. She is also diabetic.
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.
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.
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