Jeanna and her teenage daughter live in a small town of 105 residents in rural Kansas. “It’s just a nice little quiet place that you feel safe,” she said. Jeanna likes living in a rural area and wants to raise her daughter there.
To support herself and her family, Jeanna works three jobs - cleaning houses, caring for farm animals, and painting nails. Yet, she can’t afford to buy health insurance, and she makes too much money to qualify for Medicaid.
Several years ago, Jeanna was diagnosed with pre-cervical cancer. Because most states offer temporary Medicaid coverage for some low-income women with breast and cervical cancer, she qualified for Medicaid for treatment to prevent the pre-cancerous cells from progressing to cancer. She’s grateful for the care and services she received. But once her treatment was over, Jeanna was again left without access to care.
Without health insurance, Jeanna hopes she can stay healthy enough to continue working and caring for her family.
Want to see more of Jeanna’s story? Watch Critical Condition: Stories of Health in the Heartland, a short film featuring community members and health professionals from across Kansas sharing their challenges and triumphs as they strive to take care of themselves, their families, and their communities.