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.

When You Need Support to Support Others

A Lifeline

John M. / New York, New York

His story in four photos

“If it wasn’t for Medicaid…I know I wouldn’t have been able to make it.”

John enrolled in Medicaid at age 14 while staying in a shelter after leaving an abusive household. While there he signed up for a work-training program and eventually moved into his own apartment.

John was not on Medicaid while employed as a counselor in a school and for a youth housing organization. But his career was sidetracked when he tested positive for HIV, which led him to reenroll in Medicaid. “One of my medications is $4,000 a month,” John says. “There is no way I could afford that without Medicaid."

The program has not only covered this critical HIV treatment for John, but has also provided the care he needs to manage his diabetes, lupus, and heart problems. Today he is continuing to help others in need as a counselor at a local nonprofit AIDS support organization.

“A lot of people don’t think Medicaid covers the things it does,” John says. “If it wasn’t for Medicaid, with all the health issues I’ve been through, I know I wouldn’t have been able to make it.”

Video: Hear John's Story in His Own Words