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In the heart of Colorado’s San Luis Valley, Deanna Lucero lives in the rural town of Alamosa with her three children. Her youngest, Isaiah, is three years old, autistic and nonverbal. She describes him as “so full of potential, if given the chance.” For Isaiah, that chance comes through Medicaid.
Stephanie Conklin is a special education teacher for kindergarten and first grade students in the School District of Philadelphia who specializes in autistic support. She sees firsthand how Medicaid cuts affect more than just health care, they touch classrooms, educators and, more importantly, children.
Deborah Blankenship Galloway lives in rural Troup County, Georgia and lives with major mobility issues along with respiratory failure, heart failure, CKD stage 3, diabetes, gout, asthma, allergies, osteoarthritis and pinched nerves. Currently, Deborah is covered by a Medicare replacement plan, also known as a Medicare Advantage plan, and recently lost her Medicaid coverage. While she is happy to be covered at all, she is feeling the strain on her wallet from not having Medicaid as well.
Barry Spickler retired after 15 years as a government contractor and now relies on the Affordable Care Act for coverage he calls lifesaving. With premium tax credits easing the cost, he and his partner Eileen say the ACA gives them stability, dignity and peace of mind.
Wanda Bankston lives in DeKalb County, Georgia. After a career as a heavy equipment operator for Fulton County Government where she had employer sponsored insurance, Wanda now utilizes Medicaid for her coverage. After an on-the-job accident close to her retirement, she had to have back surgery to replace two discs. As of 2025, she still needs two more replaced. “The accident left me without anything," Wanda said, citing corruption within the justice system following the incident, “So I’m very thankful for the Medicaid."
For nearly a decade, Laura G., a mom in Missouri, has fought to get her daughter the health care she needs. Her daughter Annie, now nine, was born with a rare blood-clotting disorder and suffered a stroke as an infant, resulting in life-long health complications.
Crystal's 29-year-old Tyler has required specialized care every day since he was born. Crystal has been able to use Medi-Cal—California's Medicaid program—to access specialized equipment that he needs to use for 16 hours a day, as well as doctors appointments, surgeries, and a day program to help Tyler thrive. Without Medi-Cal, Crystal would be unable to keep Tyler at home with his family.
Melinda Moses lives in Huntington, West Virginia. Back in 2006, in her mid-thirties, Melinda became disabled, and since 2009 she has been utilizing Medicaid. She says without it, "I would not be able to have access to my doctors. I would not have access to medications. I would not have access to medical care at all.”
Danielle Fazio is a private mental health trauma therapist based in Wilmington, North Carolina. Since starting her practice just over a year ago, she has become one of only eight private providers in her area who accept Medicaid. Danielle specializes in treating trauma as well as anxiety disorders. About 60 to 75 percent of her patients rely on Medicaid to access the care they need.
In 2014, Ashley gave birth to her son at just 35 weeks, 5 weeks short of full term. At first, everything seemed fine, but within moments, the situation turned critical. Over the next year and a half, her son was in and out of the hospital, undergoing multiple surgeries and interventions. A hospital social worker stepped in and encouraged Ashley to apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid, a critical recommendation that helped the family stay afloat.