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Wendy Andersen is a proud mother of three children, two of whom have disabilities. Her son Dexter, now a teenager, was diagnosed as an infant with tuberous sclerosis a rare genetic condition that causes tumors throughout the body, including the brain and heart. The diagnosis came after a terrifying weekend in the hospital where doctors […]

Adam Koresh, a student at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, comes from the small rural town of Elkader in northeast Iowa with an estimated population of only 1,200. Like many Iowans, Adam relies on Medicaid for health care coverage while pursuing his degree to become a teacher. But now, the future of […]

Mary Shaw is 68 years old and has lived her entire life in Nebraska. She grew up in a rural area in a small town, spent her early years on a farm, and now resides in Norfolk, which, to her, feels like a city.  In 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mary found […]

Tiana Andrews, a resident of Maryland, began experiencing serious health complications in high school, though her doctors initially found nothing wrong. “I know my own body and I know when I’m not [well],” she said. Despite worsening symptoms—persistent illness, sensitivity to light, and memory issues—test results kept coming back normal. “Still, every doctor’s appointment was, […]

Kasey McBlais is a resident of Buckfield, Maine, a small, rural town in the western part of the state. She started her journey with MaineCare, Maine’s Medicaid program, in January 2023 after she separated from her ex-husband and became a single mother to two young children: a two-year-old daughter and a five-year-old neurodivergent son. At […]

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 — […]

Siiri Cressey lives in Lewiston, Maine, where she has spent her entire life. “I’ve been a Mainer my whole life, born and raised here,” she said. Currently living with a long-term disability, Siiri receives health coverage through MaineCare, which includes both Medicaid and Medicare benefits. Siiri emphasized the importance of this coverage. “If that got […]

Garret Frey lives in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a city rooted in Midwestern values where community and care for one another still matter. In 1987, Garret was in a motorcycle accident leaving him with a C4-C5 spinal cord injury, quadriplegic and ventilator dependent. As a person living with a physical disability, Garret knows firsthand the difference […]

Ryan Jolly, a proud resident of the state of Kansas, describes herself as being at the center of many of the groups Medicaid serves. She is a daughter, a mother, a foster parent, a health care provider and a small business owner. “If the different constituencies that are affected by Medicaid were presented in a Venn diagram,” she […]