A Navigator Reflects on the Working Families Behind Medicaid

When people think of Medicaid, they often picture someone on the fringe of society—a homeless person, a single parent struggling to make ends meet, someone who “isn’t trying.” The stereotype is loud. But it’s wrong.

What they don’t see—what they refuse to see—is that most people on Medicaid are working. They’re showing up for their families, their communities, and their jobs every single day. And if they’re not working, there is always a reason—whether it’s disability, caregiving responsibilities, or health challenges. These are not lazy people. They are survivors. Fighters. Contributors. Medicaid doesn’t just serve the people society tends to overlook. It serves the people society depends on.

“Medicaid is for your neighbor, your child’s teacher, the clerk at the grocery store, and the nurse helping your parent recover in the hospital. It’s a lifeline” 

I recently worked with a woman who is a full-time employee at a major hospital system. She is professional, smart, and passionate about the work she does. She’s also the only income earner in her household, because her husband is a disabled veteran who is no longer able to work. They have four children. And despite her full-time job in healthcare, her family qualifies for—and depends on—Medicaid. If you saw her at work, if you heard her speak, you wouldn’t guess she’s on Medicaid. That’s the point. Medicaid isn’t for “those people.” It’s for us. For your neighbor. Your child’s teacher. The clerk at the grocery store. The nurse helping your parent recover in the hospital.

We need to shift the narrative. Medicaid isn’t a handout—it’s a lifeline. And the people who rely on it are not broken. They are holding things together in ways that deserve respect, not judgment.