Skip to main content
  • GPHDN
  • Get Covered ND
  • Get Covered SD
Hit enter to search or ESC to close
Close Search
Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas
search account
Menu
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • CHAD Timeline
    • CHAD Staff
    • Board of Directors
    • Member Directory
    • Member Benefits
    • Partners & Affiliates
    • Newsletter
    • CHAD Brand Guide
    • Contact Us
  • Programs/Network Teams
    • Programs
    • Network Teams
  • Policy
    • Dakota Health Center Voices
    • Medicaid Stories
    • Get Covered Coalition
  • Careers
    • CHAD Careers
    • CHC Careers
    • Find A Job
    • Welcome Students
    • Dentists in the Dakotas
  • CHAD Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Past Event Resources
  • Health Centers
    • What Is A CHC
    • CHC Services
    • CHC Impacts
    • Find A CHC
    • CHCs In The News
  • Resources
  • CHAD Store
  • search
  • account

Avoiding a $900 Monthly Premium Spike

By Alyssa McDowellMarketplace Stories
Desiree Rapid City, SD 36-year-old Household of 3 Part-time employeed Before scheduling an appointment with a navigator my family of 3 and I were expecting our plan to increase by...
Read More
December 2, 2025
Love0

When Technology Wasn’t an Option, In-Person Navigators Were

By Alyssa McDowellMarketplace Stories
Story submitted anonymously—  I enjoyed the help and was able to understand the process that Emily explained. It is so much better talking to someone in person. This was the...
Read More
December 2, 2025
Love0

Johnny Overcame Opioid Addiction with the Support of Medicaid

By Alyssa McDowellMedicaid Stories
Medicaid has helped me get the treatment I needed to deal with addiction issues.  I had to have surgery a few years back. Post-surgery I was prescribed lots of opioid...
Read More
September 11, 2025
Love0

After Losing a Job, Medicaid Helped Man Find His Footing Again

By Alyssa McDowellMedicaid Stories
Before Medicaid, I struggled with managing my health, getting access to a doctor, and being able to be treated for some major health and mental health issues. I wasn't able...
Read More
September 11, 2025
Love0

Overcoming Language Barriers to Enroll in Health Insurance

By Alyssa McDowellMarketplace Stories
Story submitted anonymously—  I am writing to sincerely commend the outstanding service I received from Emily and Alexandra (Get Covered South Dakota). As someone whose first language is not English,...
Read More
May 30, 2025
Love0

Falling Through the Cracks: Helping the Working Uninsured Find Coverage

By Alyssa McDowellMarketplace Stories
Navigator Alex says, "While I was at Bishop Dudley, a worker approached me after I finished with a Medicaid shelter client. She asked if I could help her too—not in...
Read More
May 20, 2025
Love0

Medicaid Empowered Ellen, a College Student, Through Pregnancy and the NICU Experience

By Alyssa McDowellMedicaid Stories
I was 19 when I found out I was pregnant and only a sophomore in college. I didn't have anyone to lean on as I was unwelcome by my family...
Read More
April 25, 2025
Love0

Medicaid Gave Chelsea a Chance to Heal

By Alyssa McDowellMedicaid Stories
At the beginning of 2025, there was a point when I felt like everything in my life was on fire—like the world around me had completely collapsed. Medicaid didn’t just...
Read More
April 23, 2025
Love0

When Opinney Faced a $400 Health Insurance Premium, a Navigator Stepped In

By Alyssa McDowellMarketplace Stories
I had started a new job, and the health insurance was expensive so that I couldn’t have health coverage. I tried applying for Medicaid for my son, and it got...
Read More
April 23, 2025
Love0

Queen Doesn’t Have to Choose Between Feeding Her Kids and Giving Them Health Care

By Alyssa McDowellMedicaid Stories
My passion lies with my family. I love my community. I love volunteering at my children's school, and I love to cook. Me and my family have not always had...
Read More
April 17, 2025
Love0

A Navigator Reflects on the Working Families Behind Medicaid

By Alyssa McDowellMedicaid Stories
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...
Read More
April 17, 2025
Love0

Medicaid Keeps Tsion in School While Managing Her Diabetes

By Alyssa McDowellMedicaid Stories
My name is Tsion. I'm 19 years old. I was born in Ethiopia and migrated here when I was 5 years old. Getting diagnosed with diabetes, I had to take...
Read More
April 17, 2025
Love0

Navigators Help People Rebuild Their Lives From the Ground Up

By Alyssa McDowellMedicaid Stories
While working downtown at a local shelter, a man approached me needing help. Though he had Medicare, his medical expenses were still unaffordable—and he was desperate for support. He explained...
Read More
April 17, 2025
Love0

Alex Reflects on the Quiet Strength Behind Medicaid’s Youngest Voices

By Alyssa McDowellMedicaid Stories
The other day, I got a call from an 18-year-old girl. She had just turned 18, and she was calling because her mom told her to check if her Medicaid...
Read More
April 17, 2025
Love0

From $337 to $15: How One Fix Made All the Difference

By Alyssa McDowellMarketplace Stories
While hosting a booth at a local school district event, a mother approached me looking for help with her health coverage. She had recently tried enrolling on the Marketplace by...
Read More
April 17, 2025
Love0

How Medicaid Helped One Man Feel Human Again

By Alyssa McDowellMedicaid Stories
At Glory House, I met a man in his 50s who had never had health insurance as an adult. Fresh out of the prison system, he was unaware that Medicaid...
Read More
April 17, 2025
Love0

Liz Works to Provide Access to the Health Care You Need to Live Well

By Alyssa McDowellMedicaid Stories
Hi, I’m Liz Schenkel and I’m the Medicaid storyteller at Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas, or CHAD. Far before I was able to go to college and start working...
Read More
April 17, 2025
Love0

Erica Helps Pregnant Mother Find Relief with Medicaid Coverage

By bhuetherMedicaid Stories
I work in Yankton, South Dakota for an organization called South Dakota Voices for Peace. My role there is to assist the community in navigating resources. I come from a...
Read More
March 24, 2025
Love0
Sioux Falls

196 E 6th Street, Suite 200
Sioux Falls, SD 57104
605.275.2423

Bismarck

216 N 2nd Street, Suite 104
Bismarck, ND 58501
701.221.9824

Contact Us

© 2026 Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas. This website is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $1,561,267.00 with 0 percent financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov. CHAD makes available upon request its annual 990 report. Please make your request directly to the Director of Programs at 605-309-0873.

  • x-twitter
  • facebook
  • linkedin
  • youtube
Close Menu
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • CHAD Timeline
    • CHAD Staff
    • Board of Directors
    • Member Directory
    • Member Benefits
    • Partners & Affiliates
    • Newsletter
    • CHAD Brand Guide
    • Contact Us
  • Programs/Network Teams
    • Programs
    • Network Teams
  • Policy
    • Dakota Health Center Voices
    • Medicaid Stories
    • Get Covered Coalition
  • Careers
    • CHAD Careers
    • CHC Careers
    • Find A Job
    • Welcome Students
    • Dentists in the Dakotas
  • CHAD Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Past Event Resources
  • Health Centers
    • What Is A CHC
    • CHC Services
    • CHC Impacts
    • Find A CHC
    • CHCs In The News
  • Resources
  • CHAD Store
  • GPHDN
  • Get Covered ND
  • Get Covered SD
X