Emma Brownstein: Why Work Reporting Requirements Would Put Her Health at Risk

Emma Brownstein has spent her entire life in Utah where she was born and raised and recently completed both her undergraduate and master’s degrees in game development at the University of Utah. Now, Emma is trying to navigate a challenging job market in the gaming industry.

Emma searched for a job in the games industry for over a year but was unable to find one before aging off of her mother’s insurance at 26. “The games industry is an absolute mess right now,” she explained, describing the particularly difficult market conditions.

This loss of coverage could have been catastrophic. As someone who is neurodivergent and manages mental health challenges, Emma relies on consistent medical care and therapy to function. Fortunately, Medicaid was there to help,  “Medicaid provided me with a way to stay insured and stay functional, and able to keep moving my life forward, rather than collapsing,” she said.

Emma connected with Take Care Utah’s navigator program who helped her get enrolled and made the process surprisingly smooth. “I think it would have been a lot harder without a navigator [though] it frankly shouldn’t require one,” she reflected. The process involved a virtual meeting and some follow-up emails.

Now on Medicaid, Emma has been able to maintain critical health care services including therapy and treatment for various medical conditions. “I’ve been pretty satisfied with the care. It’s fulfilled my needs, it’s let me do things even if it doesn’t pay for everything,” she says.

The prospect of work reporting requirements for Medicaid coverage presents a particularly difficult challenge for Emma. “Due to being neurodivergent, 90% of jobs that I could easily get would be an absolute nightmare for me,” she explained. “I’m just not really capable of doing those jobs well.”

Emma knows she’s not alone in facing these challenges. “I have lots of friends who are dealing with it,” she said. “All my friends also think [the changes are] frustrating and obtuse.”

Having Medicaid means Emma can maintain her health while continuing to pursue job opportunities that meet her needs. “My ability to function and be a useful member of society is directly tied to my ability to feel safe and stable and not be an anxious wreck,” she explained. “Having Medicaid as something I can rely on, that isn’t job-related means I can actually be a productive member of society” while figuring out her next steps.

When asked what message she would share with lawmakers considering changes to Medicaid, Emma was direct: “Medicaid saves lives. Making it harder to access will have a real tangible cost in lives.” She emphasized, “It’s not just physical care that’s saving lives, mental care supported by Medicaid is saving lives, too.”

“In essence,” Emma concluded, “Medicaid gives me the ability to function because it gives me reliable safety.”