Editor’s Note – This story comes from Kansas which, so far, has resisted Medicaid expansion. The story shows you that, far from being compassionate, Medicaid expansion actually hurts people.
I have multiple autoimmune diseases and a connective tissue disorder that causes progressive joint damage. I currently have good medical coverage through a subsidized exchange plan. Being forced onto Medicaid would mean I would no longer be able to see a good number of my specialists, or my primary care physician that I’ve been a patient of for over 18 years. I currently take 23 prescription medications that are covered by my exchange insurance plan, but many of them would not be covered by Medicaid. My prescription costs under Medicaid would be drastically higher, and I wouldn’t be able to afford many of them. I’m only able to work part-time now, but being forced onto Medicaid would mean many denied treatments and medications. Without those treatments and medications, I would be unable to work at all. Forcing complicated patients with chronic conditions onto Medicaid is basically a thinly veiled attempt to kill us off through a lack of participating doctors and uncovered medications and treatments.