Leslie and her husband Matthew strive to be self-sufficient. They raise their own meat and chickens and gather eggs. They are also the parents to seven children: four biological, and three adopted.
Leslie and Matthew both work and they have health insurance through Matthew’s job. Matthew also has VA benefits for himself after serving ten years in the Air Force. But two of their adopted daughters have developmental disabilities that require frequent, ongoing specialty care. Nine-year-old Madison sees nine specialists and both she and her four-year-old sister, Charlie, go to speech and occupational therapy twice a week. The cost of these visits on private insurance would be far out of Leslie and Matthew’s reach.
Fortunately, the children all qualify for Medicaid. “We don’t know what we would do without Medicaid,” Leslie said. “We wouldn’t be able to afford extra premiums or co-pays to see the doctors.”
“Medicaid is more than health insurance for our family. It provides a peace of mind financial security. It gives our girls the care they need for them to thrive.”