Alicia is the legal guardian for her two granddaughters, both of whom are diagnosed with depression, anxiety and PTSD. Medicaid provides stability and coverage for vital healthcare services and medications that allow Alicia to focus on caregiving to her granddaughters.
Through Medicaid, Alicia’s granddaughters have been able to see the same pediatrician their entire lives and can continue to do so until each turn 21. This stability in their care team means that her granddaughters can take the time to learn to care for themselves, including finding their own insurance and general practitioners. They have also been able to keep the same therapist through Medicaid, which is good for their mental health.
Financially, Medicaid means that Alicia does not have to pay for her granddaughters’ medical appointments out-of-pocket. Additionally, they have no co-pay, making their care more affordable. Without this assistance from Medicaid, Alicia says her granddaughters would not have received a high quality of care.
Alicia knows this support from Medicaid, and the wide variety of services Medicaid covers, has facilitated the start of her granddaughters’ journeys to good mental and physical health. Her family lives in a rural area, where Medicaid covers a wide variety of services, and Alicia plans to explore more of them to help support her family.
If Medicaid were to be cut, these cuts would weigh on Alicia as a financial burden. She does not know how she would be able to find insurance for her granddaughters. The help Medicaid provides allows families, like Alicia’s, to survive knowing that their loved ones are cared for – it’s a lifeline to everyone, from children to adults.
“Medicaid isn’t just for someone who can’t afford insurance or any negative adjective. It is a lifeline for anyone, whether it be an adult or a child. And if you can’t afford regular insurance, what are you supposed to do?”