Medicaid Awareness Month

Over 5 million Floridians rely on Medicaid, including over 2.5 million children. As part of Medicaid Awareness Month, Florida Health Justice Project is sharing the lived experiences of parents explaining why “Medicaid is a blessing” and why they “cannot live without Medicaid.”

These short personal videos cover the gamut of parental experiences. We share the voices of parents whose children have complex medical needs, including Susana, whose twins were premature and needed “a lot of medical care to survive and thrive,” and Gina, whose son has cerebral palsy and needs expensive medical care. And we hear from Brooke, a new mom who “could sleep better at night” knowing that she and her baby had health insurance. We raise the voice of Quinnessa, whose daughter’s speech delay is improving tremendously through multiple therapies covered by Medicaid; and Zamanta, whose daughter was “paralyzed” and needed mental health counseling after being bullied. We share the story of Qudsia, who works three jobs while taking care of her three children and her elderly mother; and Maggie, whose kids rely on Medicaid for immunizations and well care visits to stay healthy.

While many of these children have significant medical needs and the parents’ own lives are immensely challenging, these are stories of gratitude. Medicaid is a lifeline for them all. Over and over, parents whose kids have flourished and thrived and survived all say “I don’t know what I would do without Medicaid.”

By Miriam Harmatz, Advocacy Director & Founder and Alison Yager, Executive Director

To watch other Lived Experiences– the stories from parents, children, and healthcare providers who rely on Medicaid, visit https://www.floridahealthstories.org/children.