After the birth of her son 7 years ago, Nicole lost her health insurance. Fortunately, she and her son were approved for Medicaid. As a survivor of domestic violence with specific healthcare needs, Medicaid provided access to those services including mental health support.
“As a domestic violence survivor and parent to a young child, Medicaid has provided important medical care that I would not have been able to afford. This care supports my healing so that I can provide the very best future for my son.”
Nicole, an intergenerational caregiver solely responsible for her child and her aging parent living with a disability, was able to complete a degree in public health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to early pandemic related legislation that required state Medicaid programs to keep people continuously enrolled through the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, she has been able to retain access to ongoing care even after she began working full time. Being able to maintain Medicaid coverage, a health insurance program that provides essential coverage without out-of -pocket costs, allowed her to rebuild a sense of financial stability for her household.
In fall 2022, Nicole received notification that her coverage will stay in place until the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. She knows her Medicaid will be ending soon and is hopeful she will be able to identify affordable coverage for her and her son. “Having Medicaid before and during the pandemic helped get me through a very challenging time for my family.” she said. “While I’m hopeful to be able to transition to an affordable health insurance plan once I’m no longer eligible for Medicaid, there are many other single parents and domestic violence survivors who may not be able to do so.”
Florida Health Justice Project engages in comprehensive advocacy to expand health care access and promote health equity for vulnerable Floridians.
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