North Carolina Medicaid Stories

When Jorja’s energy levels began to wane, her family took her to a children’s hospital to find out what was wrong. That’s when 3-year-old Jorja was diagnosed with leukemia. Fortunately, Medicaid helped the family pay for the expensive and life-saving treatment she needed.

Sheila works hard – often two or three jobs at once – but her jobs don’t offer health insurance and she can’t afford private insurance for her family. Fortunately, her kids have Medicaid, which has been a lifesaver.

Cristy had congestive heart failure. Even though she was working full time, she wasn’t offered health insurance through her job, and she made too much to qualify for Medicaid.  Because she couldn’t get the treatment she needed, Christy died of a heart attack at just 36 years old; leaving behind three young children. 

Ryan was born with a genetic disorder called CHARGE syndrome. The complex and rare syndrome requires significant medical care, and the family’s private insurance couldn’t cover it all. Fortunately, Ryan is eligible for Medicaid as a supplemental insurance plan, enabling him to get the care he needs to thrive.

Linda adopted Brianna from foster care when she was just 7 weeks old. As a former foster child, Brianna had Medicaid, which was a lifesaver for the family when she was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition.

Chris has worked manual labor his whole life. But now, with four blockages in his heart, he can’t do that work anymore, and cannot find a job that offers health insurance to get him the defibrillator he needs.

Jennifer was getting ready to re-enter the work force after raising four children and she was looking forward to gaining access to health insurance for the first time in years. But COVID-19 forced her to change her plans. Now, she has found a concerning lump, but doesn’t have the coverage she needs to get it looked at.