Sally Troche: My Disability Doesn’t Define Me, Thanks to Medicaid

Sally Troche, a 30-year-old resident of Greenleigh, Pennsylvania, has relied on Medicaid to access essential services that support her daily life. For Sally, Medicaid has been a critical tool in helping her manage health care costs and stay connected to care she otherwise couldn’t afford. Sally has a learning disability and some physical challenges — including flat feet that make it difficult for her to stand for long periods — but she lives an independent and fulfilling life, thanks in large part to the services Medicaid provides. “Medicaid helps me get services that I need for everyday life,” she said. “It helps me have Lisa, who’s my habilitation (HAB) worker. And it helps me pay for things that are just out of my price range, meaning doctor’s appointments, or if I need to pick up medication.”

Sally works part-time at Twin Cedar Senior Living Center in Shohola. She provides care and support to elderly residents and finds deep fulfillment in her job. “The residents, they keep you on your toes, and they make you laugh and kind of enjoy life a little bit more, especially with the life that they’re living is kind of shorter. We try to make every day really important to them,” she said.

She described her workplace as a team environment. “My co-workers, they’re pretty great. We’re kind of like a big family, really. Really take care of each other and kind of work as a team.”

Sally typically works about 48 hours over two weeks and depends on Pike County Transportation to get to work. “It’s cheaper. For me, it’s only $5 a day compared to taking a taxi,” she explained. Her employer has also been supportive. “My boss is really reasonable about how I can come in and when I can come in, really good about scheduling my needs.”

Without Medicaid, Sally said her life would look very different. “It would definitely be a tough situation. I think it would be harder for people like me, because that means I wouldn’t have Lisa or my services. And that’s just not a world I want to live in,” she said. “It would just be a harder situation to get what I need, if it’s services and food stamps and just the extra things that I need in my life to just move forward.”

Lisa, Sallys HAB worker, plays an important role in Sally’s life. “Lisa…does a lot for me. And I think she makes me better. She makes me want to be a better person,” Sally said. Lisa helps support Sally beyond her physical health, encouraging her to not let her disability define who she is as a person. “I feel like in the past, I didn’t have the confidence that I do today to do things on my own. And she just inspires me to do more with my life.”

Looking ahead, Sally believes Medicaid needs improvement. “I think for Medicaid as a whole, I think that we could do better. I feel like we could do more with it. I’m not sure what that would look like, but it’s not what it is today. I think we could do better.”

For Sally, Medicaid is not just a program — it is a necessary foundation that helps her work, live independently, and move forward in her life with confidence.