Medicaid
Paul Miller: Medicaid Gives Me the Freedom to Be Me
Paul’s life has been defined by resilience. He grew up in a family of nine siblings. His father, a senior project manager in fluid mechanics at General Motors, worked until they wouldn’t let him anymore. Now in his late 60s, Paul still intends to work past 70. It is through the support of federal programs like Medicaid and Social Security that Paul has been able to continue working since he qualified for disability in 1994. But Paul’s access to Medicaid has not always been stable.
An Iowa resident, diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2007 at just 26 years old, Jennifer Marion's journey began with a terrifying symptom: sudden vision loss in her left eye. Though her sight eventually returned, MS has continued to shape her life in invisible but profound ways. 
Kay Marcel lives in Urbandale, Iowa, where she and her husband have spent a lifetime ensuring their son Joel can live a full, safe, and meaningful life. Joel is 46 years old and has Down syndrome, along with several health conditions that require daily monitoring and consistent care. 
Schmeeka Simpson, a 44-year-old mother of three, grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. Now living in Omaha, she works with the Nebraska Civic Engagement Table and serves as the policy fellow at the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation. In her roles, she helps shape advocacy efforts and community agendas. But long before her career in civic leadership began, Simpson’s early years were shaped by Medicaid.
Gail Smith lives in a nursing home in Somerset County, New Jersey, where Medicaid has sustained her here and in another facility for the past four years. “It’s been a lifeline for me,” she shared. After a near-fatal health crisis in 2021, she lost a kidney and now depends on two teams of specialists to monitor her condition closely.
After her young son experienced a life-threatening seizure, Sharon Watson’s world was turned upside down. With the help of Medicaid, her family was able to access lifesaving care, rebuild their lives, and advocate for a future where every child has the right to survive—and thrive.
Adrienne, a Pennsylvania resident and mother of two, never expected a simple diagnostic procedure to lead to over a year of financial and emotional distress. In February 2024, she underwent a thyroid biopsy at a hospital she knew well, the hospital where she gave birth to both of her children and one she visits frequently for appointments. Everything about the process felt routine—until the bill arrived.
Jim and Teresa Matthews never imagined that a hospital visit could unravel into a financial bureaucratic nightmare. When Teresa was hospitalized after a sudden episode of transient global amnesia—a rare, temporary loss of memory—they discovered a hidden flaw that left them with a $4,500 bill for a single day’s worth of medication and no clear path to challenge it.
Michele Steepleton never imagined she’d see her older sister Susan on the brink of losing everything including her life. But when Susan, now 60, lost her job during the pandemic, it triggered a health crisis that spiraled quickly and dangerously out of control. 
Heidi Riley, a retired financial services professional from Point Pleasant, New Jersey, has watched her brother’s life change dramatically due to serious illness, and she has seen firsthand how Medicaid has played a critical role in keeping him alive.