‘My life was in freefall before I qualified for Medicaid’

Program cuts will cost more than supposed savings

By Karen Perkins Robles
Reader Contributor

I am a survivor of childhood abuse, domestic violence and violent crime. I live with complex post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder — conditions I did not choose, but ones I must manage every day. Without Medicaid, I would not be here to share my story. 

That’s why I feel compelled to speak up about the consequences of H.R. 1, the federal budget law recently passed by Congress. I am very worried that the legislation’s massive budget cuts to Medicaid and strict work requirements will put thousands of lives at risk. 

My life was in freefall before I qualified for Medicaid. I attempted suicide multiple times. I would self-harm to relieve intense emotions. I couldn’t complete basic tasks. I had no support and no hope. My turning point came when a college professor — a retired sheriff and Iraq War veteran — told me I needed mental health treatment. He shared his battle with PTSD and assured me that recovery was possible. For the first time, I knew I wasn’t alone. 

Through Medicaid, I received case management, therapy and psychiatric care. My case managers helped me schedule appointments and get transportation to access care. They connected me to vocational rehabilitation and, eventually, I was able to manage my own affairs. I stabilized.

But recovery is not linear. I lost my Medicaid benefits many times because of missed paperwork. I would end up in the ER when I needed medical attention — health care that I couldn’t afford to pay for because I was uninsured. Last year, my symptoms returned: panic attacks, dissociation, even stuttering. I struggled to manage the overwhelming paperwork to stay enrolled. The only reason I was able to keep my Medicaid coverage was because my case managers showed me how to request an exemption. 

Many people with untreated mental health conditions often don’t realize that treatment is available or how to access it. Medicaid makes this possible. 

There are more people with stories like mine, but they won’t have the lifeline I had with Medicaid because of this law. More bureaucratic hurdles will be imposed through work requirements that will cut people off from health care while doing nothing to help them find work. For people like me, who live with mental health challenges that make navigating complex systems nearly impossible, these policies are not just burdensome — they are devastating. 

Stripping Medicaid away will push thousands of people into crisis. The costs — in ER visits, hospitalizations, lost productivity and lives — will be far greater than any so-called savings. 

Congress made a choice: It chose to make it harder for vulnerable Americans to get care. I am living proof of what Medicaid makes possible — and I fear for those who will not get that same chance. 

Karey Perkins Robles, from Emmett, Idaho, is an advocate with a special focus on behavioral health, strengthening families and Head Start. She works to elevate the voices of experts and advance policies that address socioeconomic challenges, so communities have the support they need to thrive.