Temika Ashford, Midlands Mother

Please introduce yourself and tell us why you chose to enroll in Medicaid?

My name is Temika Ashford, and I chose to enroll into Medicaid because me and my kids really needed the help. Medicaid has been really good to us, and we needed it.

Can you talk a little bit about how it's been good to you? Can you share a little bit more about that?

Yeah, in 2014, the testimony in 2014 I broke my femur bone, and the hospital bills were 'Oh my God.' I couldn't never imagine paying it out of my pocket, but Medicaid picked it up and paid every dime of it.

Do you remember about how much all of that ended up being out-of-pocket?

The bill they were rolling in I think it was maybe 80-90 something thousand dollars.

Do you remember the kinds of things that built up the out-of-pocket cost?

I know they charged me with - it was an emergency - so they had to fix my femur. I had to get a femur rod and screws put in my leg and really fix my leg. Medicaid took care of everything.

What other benefits would you say, or how else has it benefitted you?

It helped me a lot because I have medical bills, me and my kids. I'm low-income, so being low-income I do work but Medicaid helps with a lot of things. I'm able to keep my bills up with Medicaid helping with the hospital bills and the doctor appointments.

Can you talk about how the kind of care it would get for you and your children?

Yes ma'am, we get good healthcare. My kids they get their check-ups, Medicaid pays for that. I also get my check-ups. I'm also on birth control and Medicaid takes care of that for me.

How has Medicaid made a difference for you and your family?

It's been a big help; Medicaid has been a big help to me and my kids. Without Medicaid I don't think we would have access to good healthcare.

Can you talk a little bit about how long you've been on it?

Oh God, whew. I've been on Medicaid since I've started having kids. My oldest child is 22, so I've been on Medicaid since then. So, all of my kids have Medicaid and I also have Medicaid, family planning.

How did you hear about the Medicaid program?

It's been so many years ago, I heard about the Medicaid program through the department of Social Services.

So, what has been your biggest challenges, if any with the Medicaid program? 

I've never really had any big challenges with Medicaid.

Can you talk a little bit more about what the process of getting on Medicaid and keeping it is like?

The process of getting Medicaid is easy, you know the application was easy, and keeping it was easy because they send you papers in the mail. So, you fill your paperwork out and you send it back in and you still have your Medicaid.

So that's never been a challenge for you since you've, had it?

It's never been, thank God.

So, you said you heard about it and got on it through DSS?

Yes, ma'am when I first got pregnant with my first child, that's when I first found out about Medicaid. When I went there to apply for EBT, because I was pregnant that's when they told me about the Medicaid program. So, that's how I got on.

So, you were getting another service from them they told you about it?

By me being pregnant yes.

Had you considered this at all as an option before? What did you do before you had Medicaid for your healthcare?

Nothing.

Can you talk about where you went to get care when you needed it, like if you were sick?

I went to the emergency room.