“Fortunately, I am on AHCCCS, so I get the medications I need”

My name is Kathryn Castaneda, I am 56 with two adult children ages 28 and 25. I moved to Prescott Valley from California several years ago thanks.

Meet Melanie – an AZ kid covered by Medicaid/AHCCCS

Melanie, who was adopted as a baby, was born with Down syndrome and is deaf. She also has Glycogen Storage Disease, which causes her to have low blood sugar. Medicaid covers a lot of her medical needs not covered by her private insruance, TRICARE, which is offered to military families.

Medicaid/AHCCCS is helping fight the opioid crisis

Esther, who lives in Phoenix, has now been in recovery for 3 years. Her addiction began with prescription pain killers and then it progressed to heroin.  She has health insurance through AHCCCS, which covers all her medications and rehab treatments.

Henry’s family has been saved by Medicaid/AHCCCS

Samantha Bailey was 26 weeks into her pregnancy when she and her husband found out their son, Henry, would be born with a rare congenital heart defect called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. It meant Henry would be born with a heart that only functions on the right side.

“If we didn’t qualify for AHCCCS, or for some reason Henry specifically wasn’t able to be on it, we would probably have to file for personal bankruptcy or choose between having a house and food or pay medical bills,” Samantha said.

Josh was born with a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on any nerve ending in his body.

Wendy’s son Josh was born with a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on any nerve ending in his body. As a result, three years ago, he was diagnosed with optic nerve glioma, which is a tumor between his optic nerve. This caused him to become legally blind in his right eye. He recently started a new chemotherapy treatment that seems to be working.

Medicaid helps working families.

Elizabeth Ojeda said the insurance makes it possible for her to take her two sons to their regular doctor checkups. It also covers their vision and dental appointments. Elizabeth is a stay-at-home mom. Her husband works full-time at a warehouse and has health insurance through the marketplace. But he doesn’t make enough money to afford a health insurance plan that covers the entire family.

Medicaid(AHCCCS) helps working moms

Angie is a single mother of three children. She works full-time but can’t afford private health insurance. Her children have free healthcare coverage through AHCCCS, which she describes as “a blessing.” She uses the healthcare coverage to take her children for doctor check-ups and dentist visits.

Chronically ill kids get coverage from Medicaid(AHCCCS)

Brianna has two chronically ill children. Her 3-year-old daughter, Melianna, was diagnosed with dysphagia and has a feeding tube. She also suffers from acid reflux, asthma, and early stages of autism. Her 8-year-old son, Eastahn, has sickle-cell anemia, asthma and has multiple allergies. AHCCCS covers all their medical needs.

Meet Erin and Evin

Erin Schwab’s 8-year-old son, Evin, has autism. AHCCCS covers his therapies, which Erin says are critical to his development. She says his therapies are helping him improve his physical and social skills. Without AHCCCS, Erin said she and her husband would struggle to find a way to pay for those therapies out of pocket.

Children’s Rehabilitative Service – another program helping Arizona’s kids

Jaclyn’s 8-year-old son suffered a traumatic brain injury during a car accident several years ago. The injury left him cognitively and physically disabled. Jaclyn is able to cover her son’s medical needs thanks to the health insurance he has through the Children Rehabilitative Services program, which is offered through AHCCCS.

Helping adoptive parents

Camilla and her husband are the adoptive parents of three children. The family has private insurance, but it doesn’t cover all of their children’s medical needs, including their 14-year-old son’s behavioral health needs.

“It allows us to be a family that doesn’t need assistance like we did before, and it allows Brooke to have the best care that she needs.”

Her daughter, Brooke, was diagnosed with Cohen syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects her physical development. It also causes her to have progressive vision loss and weak muscle tone. At 6 years old, Brooke sees her primary care doctor along with seven different specialists. All her medical needs are covered through AHCCCS.

AHCCCS(Medicaid) programs help students like Ray Cruz pursue their degree

Ray said having health insurance through the YATI program allows him to live worry free and to focus on finishing his business communications degree. He’s a student at Arizona State University.

KidsCare covers working families

Clancie Kazee recently went back to school to pursue a nursing degree while her husband, Casey Kazee, works as an independent truck driver. Though her husband works long hours, the family still doesn’t make enough to afford health insurance for their 6-year-old daughter Calli and 2-year-old son Jamey. However, both of their children were recently approved for KidsCare.

“It has been a blessing, I could not afford the proper treatments and the cost for medication was outrageous without insurance.”

Like many Arizonan’s Don Nelson and Bona Jordan found their way to Arizona, seeking affordable housing and low altitude in hopes of improving Don’s health.

Don, who is 60, suffers from COPD, asthma and chronic pain. The one-time software architect, could no longer drive to work, sit in an office all day or concentrate because of constant, excruciating pain.

“Ramon is a walking miracle”

Ofelia Canez’s son, Ramon, is a walking miracle. It was 2010 when he heard the news that his cousin was killed in Afghanistan, He left home that evening to meet with friends, and never returned the same.

“By the time Mia was five-years old her health expenses grew to nearly $2 million”

Mia Daniels is a beautiful fifteen-year-old with Cerebral Palsy. She attends Cesar Chavez High School in Phoenix, is active in dance class, loves music, and participates in church activities.

“By the time Mia was five-years old her health expenses grew to nearly $2 million.  We could never have afforded the costs associated with her medical care. Thanks to AHCCCS (Arizona’s Medicaid), Mia receives the medical treatment she needs” says her father, Raul.

“KidsCare has brought peace of mind, my boys are healthy, and I’ve only used it for preventive care, but I know if something did happen they have the health coverage they need”

Together for 11 years, Heather’s partner was able to provide health care coverage for the family under his employee plan. A couple of years ago, the company he worked for was sold and his new employer did not provide domestic partner coverage.  Heather, and her two children from a previous relationship, lost their health insurance coverage.

Megan & Sophia: their story

My name is Megan Robenalt and I come from a family of hard-working people, originally copper miners, who have contributed to Arizona’s economy for five generations.

I live in Kearny, AZ in eastern Pinal County, with my six-year old daughter Sophia.

When I was married, health insurance wasn’t an issue. Sophia’s dad served in the military and we had the best care ever. After he left the military that all changed. Only he had an option for insurance coverage through the VA.  Wow! That was a surprise. We really didn’t know how we would pay for health care.

“Without AHCCCS we would be uninsured”

I have 2 children, my youngest, in pre-kindergarten, is on the spectrum for Autism, he has many needs and receives speech therapy at school. Through AHCCCS, we see a doctor locally and we take my son to a specialist in Verrado, a 50-mile drive from Gila Bend.

“The girls came from a trauma situation and it is important for them to receive regular medical and behavioral health services as well as medications.”

My husband and I are the parents 3 beautiful girls, ages 11, 8 and 6. We live in the remote, unincorporated community of Elfrida, in southeastern Arizona. My husband is a Border Patrol agent, stationed at the Douglas station.  We love our community, it is a great place to raise our children.

“Being on AHCCCS saved my life, because of the kind of medical condition I have, I needed major surgery and more.”

In 2000, we moved to Arizona and decided to start a cleaning and landscaping business here in Prescott, Az. Everything was going well until last year, I got sick. I was on complete bed rest for nearly 10 months. When I got sick, I didn’t have insurance and we paid $8,000 out of pocket for medical expenses.

“I was uninsured for nearly 20 years even though I am a college graduate and once worked as a professional opera singer in New York city.”

AHCCCS has been good to me.  I had no idea that I was diabetic and now that I have medical coverage I can go to the doctor anytime when I am sick. I am currently receiving treatment for psoriasis, which at times has been so bad I couldn’t walk. I also receive much needed medications and glucose supplies.

“Sometimes life just happens.”

I found myself a single mother of two young children. I was working full-time doing accounting work at a private prison in Pinal County when I decided to go back to school to follow my dream of a college education.

“My wife and I were missionaries. AHCCCS has been good to us.”

My wife and I were missionaries. We first came to Arizona to work on the Navajo nation, to help work on the communication system, working on transmitters. Our work later took us to Navojoa, in Sonora Mexico. That’s when my wife got sick. She told me that she thought she had broken her back. I found a doctor who was able to give her pain medications so that we could make the 14-hour drive back to Tucson.

“I was brought into this world, a child of a drug addicted mother. Because of the health issues that came with that, I was eligible as a child, for Social Security Disability and AHCCCS.”

My name is Demitrias Arrington and I am 26 years old. I was brought into this world, a child of a drug addicted mother. Because of the health issues that came with that, I was eligible as a child, for Social Security Disability and AHCCCS. When I turned 18 years old that immediately changed. I was expected to re-apply for Social Security and other benefits on my own as an adult.  But how was I going to do that?