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Medicaid

Gail Smith: The Cost of Cuts to Medicaid in Our Nursing Homes

Card Image 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.

Medicaid

Sharon Watson: “Because of Medicaid, My Son Can Dream of a Future”

Card Image 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.

Medicaid

Heidi Riley: How Medicaid Rescued My Brother

Card Image 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.

Medicaid

Eileen Conti: Treating Patients That Others Won't

Card Image Eileen Conti is an ophthalmologist in New Jersey. Her practice is one of the few in her area that accepts Medicaid coverage. She has fought for patients to receive the eye care they need when nobody else would treat them because of their insurance status. But if Medicaid is cut, helping patients treat vision problems will become even more difficult, with devastating consequences.

Medicaid

Frank Ogrodowski: Medicaid Gives My Sister a Chance to Thrive

Card Image Frank helps to take care of his sister, Jenna, an adult with Down Syndrome and a fragile heart. Frank and Jenna rely on Medicaid to keep Jenna alive and active in her community. Medicaid provides critical coverage for Jenna's cardiology appointments, dental care, home caregiving assistance, day programs, and more. If Medicaid is cut, Jenna would not only lose the programs that help her thrive, but she could face life-threatening risks to her heart.

Medicaid

Melinda Magdalene Wings: Protecting Her Parents Final Chapter

Card Image Melinda Magdalene Wings is a retired hospice nurse who knows the value of compassionate care. Today, she’s advocating not for her patients, but for her own parents, Ivan and Kay both 86 years old, who live in a care facility in Newton, Iowa, the town where they were born and raised. “They’ve been in love since they were 17,” Melinda shares. “They’re still together today, in the same facility. But without Medicaid and Medicare, they wouldn’t be.” 

Medicaid

Mary Shaw: A Life Saved By Medicaid Expansion

Card Image Mary Shaw was struggling with several medical issues, including skin cancer and an urgent need for a hip replacement. She was unable to get help until Nebraska expanded their Medicaid program. With her new coverage, Mary was able to not only improve her physical health, but also found a renewed sense of purpose and dignity.

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