At 32, Kristina Andrews fell four stories from her balcony and woke up in the hospital being told to say her last words. She survived a spinal cord injury that doctors said would leave her paralyzed from the neck down, but the care that could help her walk again isn't covered — Medicaid, she learned, doesn't pay for catastrophic events like hers, leaving her to face astronomical costs and an uncertain road to recovery largely on her own.
Read Kristina’s storyJason Miller is a 43-year-old father of four living in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, the western part of the state. Every member of his immediate family lives with serious, complex medical conditions. His four children all have glycogen storage disease, as well as Factor VII deficiency. His wife lives with scleroderma and her own bleeding disorder. Managing it all requires the kind of vigilance most people never have to imagine. The family's ability to maintain this care depends heavily on Medicaid.
Read Jason’s storyIrene Osorio is a seamstress, co-op founder, and mother in Philadelphia whose income shifts week to week as she builds a language justice cooperative from the ground up. For her and her son, Medicaid is the steady ground beneath all of it. "It let me focus on raising my son, growing my business, and staying connected to my community."
Read Irene’s story
In 2017, Tomeka James Isaac was pregnant with her first and only son, Jace. At 40 years old, she was told early on that she would be at high risk for pre-eclampsia, yet despite this ominous warning, Tomeka’s pregnancy was progressing smoothly. Until, at her 35-week appointment, complications began.
Read Tomeka’s storyKea had a plan. Pregnant with her first child, she knew she wanted a natural birth, and she wanted her birth experience to be an experience that was unique to her. However, she felt dismissed by doctors when she made requests, and ignored at appointments. Kea switched to a birth center, and everything changed for the better.
Read Kea’s storyTamara's 18 month old grandson fell ill with a slight cough and signs mirroring COVID-19, but was not tested by his pediatrician. After his oxygen levels dropped, he was taken to the ER but was still not tested for COVID-19 due to not meeting testing criteria.
Read Tamara’s story
A Waterloo, Iowa school worker, Savannah Rucker fell at work in 2024 and broke her wrist and shoulder. A canceled MRI, an unexplained $7,789 facility fee, and a lost workers' comp paper trail have kept her from surgery ever since — even as she was also treated for breast cancer.
Read Savannah’s storyPriced out of her husband's employer plan, Abbey Diamond decided to stay uninsured, telling herself, "I'll just hope for the best." Then a piece of food became lodged in her throat, leading to emergency surgery and a $17,000 hospital bill she is still paying off, all while she fears what happens to her family's care once her postpartum Medicaid coverage ends.
Read Abbey’s storyKeaton Herzer describes navigating his cancer treatment as fighting a system "designed to wear me down and get me to quit." Between insurance denials for a targeted therapy and, later, a life-saving liver transplant, he and his wife drained their savings account and spent a month appealing decisions, all while he was still living scan to scan, unsure if he would survive.
Read Keaton’s story
