Medicaid Stories

Lauren is a radiation oncology social worker, and often sees uninsured patients. “Not having insurance is something that sometimes worries them more than the diagnosis itself,” she said.

Ormella is the Chief Strategy Officer for North Mississippi Health Services, and too often sees patients come through their doors who have not had the opportunity to get preventive services because they don’t have access to health insurance.

Dr. Pace is a retired gastroenterologist and a colon cancer survivor. He knows first-hand the importance of early cancer diagnosis, and knows that expanding Medicaid in Mississippi would allow more people to have access to life-saving screenings.

Shane is the President and CEO of North Mississippi Health Services, the largest rural hospital system in the country. He wants to ensure his patients have access to the care they need, and knows that Medicaid expansion would play a huge role in that.

Tim was working in construction when he noticed sores on his foot, but he didn’t have health insurance to treat it. Years later, he found out that the sores were diabetic ulcers and he needed to have his leg amputated.

Jessica is a summer camp director and a teacher. When she was 11 years old, her dad had a heart attack. As a truck driver, her didn’t have access to health insurance, and the hospital bills devastated her family. “It took 15 to 20 years for my parents to pay those bills off,” Jessica said.

In Alabama there has been a stark racial and geographic divide in who is suffering from COVID-19, in part because of long-standing barriers to health insurance coverage. Watch this short film to hear from community leaders and health care providers in the Black Belt of Alabama as well as other rural parts of the state about these disparities and the importance of improving access to health care. Then check out the full mini-documentary On the Edge: Health Care in Alabama.