That’s Medicaid
Health insurance coverage provides people with access to the care they need—when they need it. That’s Medicaid shares stories of people helped by Medicaid at critical points in their lives.
“Without Medicaid it would be really hard to keep my daughter alive.”
Kerstin was born with cerebral palsy, and as she became older, other illnesses developed that hindered her growth and development. Now 19 years old, Kerstin has been diagnosed with epilepsy, restrictive lung disease, and a number of other illnesses.
Matissa, Kerstin’s mother, had a full-time job when her daughter was born and believed the family would not qualify for Medicaid as a result. Years later Matissa transitioned to a part-time job in order to care for her daughter and Medicaid became Kerstin’s primary source for health care.
The program covers Kerstin’s food—which is given through a feeding tube—in addition to oxygen tanks, personalized home care, and medical supplies.
"Without Medicaid it would be really hard to keep my daughter alive because of her extensive medical history and needs,” Mattisa says. “I don’t know how we would’ve been able to take care of Kerstin if we didn’t have Medicaid.”