Kansas Stories: Valerie

Valerie is a wife and mother from Wichita who is working toward a degree in the social sciences. She spends her free time doing whatever she can to help those around her, including advocating for the unhoused population in Wichita. Her husband and son are covered by Medicaid, but Valerie does not qualify. She is grateful that her husband and son have Medicaid coverage, but as a primary caretaker for her husband, son, and aging father, she worries about who would care for them if something happen

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Kansas Stories: Pam

Pam is a mother and grandmother from Pittsburg who works part-time as a home health care aide. As a health care aide she takes care of people with disabilities or chronic illnesses to help them with daily living activities. Pam's work is valuable to her community and those she cares for, but she is not offered health insurance because in Kansas she is considered an independent contractor. Like many other working age Kansans, Pam now lives in the health insurance coverage gap.

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Kansas stories: Stephen

Stephen is a father of two from Buhler, Kansas. He is trying to make his life better for his family. After working as a server for awhile, he decided to enroll in a computer program coding bootcamp could help him find a higher paid position -- and hopefully one with health insurance. He took time away from his newborn baby to attend this bootcamp with the hopes that it would propel his career forward.

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Kansas stories: Doug & Jake

Doug opened his heart and his home to a child in need and adopted Jake out of foster care. Like all other kids adopted out of foster care, Jake was covered under Medicaid until he turned 18. But once the public health emergency ended and redeterminations began again, Jake lost his health insurance. Because Kansas has not expanded Medicaid, he is uninsured and in the coverage gap.

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Kansas stories: Kelsey Vetter

Kelsey is a grant writer from Lenexa. She has mild Ataxic Cebrebral Palsy, which is a brain disorder that affects balance and coordination. She works part-time for a non-profit organization, and because she isn't a full-time employee, she is not offered health insurance. Her income is too low to qualify for health insurance on the Affordable Care Act marketplace.

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Kansas stories: Julie Jenesta

Julie Jenesta is a social worker at the Salvation Army. She spends her time working with low-income families in northeast Kansas. Many of Julie's clients are single parents who are struggling to take care of themselves, especially when it comes to their health.

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Kansas stories: Dr. David Mouillé

Dr. David Mouillé is a retired forensic psychologist from Bonner Springs. He’s spent his career working within the Kansas criminal justice system and helping patients who have behavioral health needs. “In its current form, Medicaid does not adequately address the problems of needy Kansans and does not protect healthy Kansans,” he recently wrote in a letter to the Kansas Legislature.

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Kansas stories: Tammy

Tammy is a grandmother who recently moved from Kansas City, Missouri, to Shawnee Mission, Kansas. While living in Missouri she qualified for Medicaid; Missouri expanded their Medicaid program in 2021. When she moved to Kansas, she lost access to affordable health insurance since Kansas has not expanded its Medicaid program.