LTE: Sharing Medicaid success story
Meghan Harrington, Helena IR
Seven years ago, my family experienced a major medical crisis. Caregiving became my full-time job, leaving my family with no insurance. Lack of access to medical care exacerbated our situation, and the middle class trajectory of our lives was completely derailed.
In the wake of that crisis, I had to rebuild a life for my daughter and myself from scratch. When Medicaid expansion passed, I finally had access to medical care. It’s because of this access that I was able to pull my life back together. I went back to school, I started a new career, and began working as a speech-language pathologist.
It is because of Medicaid expansion coverage that I had the emotional, mental, and financial ability to pull myself back onto the middle class track. It is because of that access, granted by the legislative body in 2015, that today I no longer need Medicaid. My story is not unique. There are so many Montanans who are in the same position I was in just a few short years ago. I ask that the Senate please pass HB 658 to continue Medicaid expansion for thousands of Montanans who can’t afford to lose life-changing access to health care.
Meghan Harrington, Helena