Over the past several months, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families has traveled across the state, talking with Arkansans about their experiences with being insured through Medicaid. In nine focus groups spanning from Northwest to South Arkansas, we heard from many Arkansans whose voices often get left out of the conversation around coverage and care.

In El Dorado, a group of Arkansas women shared their experiences navigating the healthcare system with Medicaid coverage. Their stories not only reveal gaps in coverage, but also the real-life consequences of policy decisions on access to care, family safety, and financial stability.

These voices offer a closer look at what it means to have Medicaid coverage in Arkansas, and what happens when the system falls short.

Insurance Access as a Reaction

Most participants did not actively seek insurance coverage through Medicaid before they needed it. Instead, enrollment in the program was often prompted by a sudden or significant life event or medical crisis, highlighting the reactive nature of enrollment for many participants. Examples of these reactions included:

• A young mom found out she was pregnant with her first child and gained access to insurance through Pregnancy Medicaid.
• Another woman needed an urgent hysterectomy and was referred to Medicaid prior to her surgery.
• A participant’s husband was involved in a bad car accident and the social workers at the hospital and helped them both apply for Medicaid while he was hospitalized.

One woman described her experience as, “I didn’t get it till I needed it.”

Coverage Losses and Delayed Care

Four out of six women experienced disruptions in care after losing Medicaid coverage. These care disruptions often resulted in delayed or interrupted treatment or losing access to critical medications, making it harder to manage health conditions and seek routine care. Examples of delayed care included:

• A participant lost access to suboxone for substance use treatment.
• A mom who could no longer fill medications to treat her son’s asthma.
• A participant had to stop seeing her primary care doctor because she no longer had access to insurance through Medicaid.

These experiences show how even temporary lapses in coverage can create significant barriers to maintaining treatment, managing health conditions, and accessing routine care.

Lack of Access to Providers

Many participants mentioned a lack of access to providers—either not being able to find a provider that accepted Medicaid or providers having long wait times. The following are examples of other provider challenges that made it harder for participants to find or see a doctor or continue needed care:

• Issues finding the type of doctor that they needed with their Medicaid coverage.
• Mentions of limited provider availability
• Lack of access to dental options and dental providers

One participant’s doctor stopped accepting Medicaid, and it took her five months to find a new provider, delaying access to needed care and coverage continuity.

Alternative/At-Home Care Strategies

Due to coverage losses, many participants used at-home remedies to care for themselves and their families. One woman said when she lost coverage that, “you go to the internet for the doctor.” Others relied on excessive cleaning and “home remedies” to avoid triggers for asthma.

Protective Impact on Finances

Although losing coverage and administrative barriers negatively impacted many participants, they also mentioned the protective impact Medicaid has on their finances. Participants told us:

• Medicaid covered the medical flight for her husband when he was in an accident that they otherwise would not have been able to afford.
• That they can see the doctor without having to worry about how they’re going to pay for it.
• Medicaid kept people healthy enough, so they didn’t have to miss work and miss out on a portion of their paycheck.

The financial impact helped families afford other necessities. One participant told us when her husband was involved in an accident, “If we didn’t have Medicaid at that time, we wouldn’t have had food probably, and our SNAP really (helped).”

Fear/Uncertainty About Upcoming Changes

Nearly all participants expressed fear or anxiety about the future of their health coverage, particularly with upcoming policy changes including work reporting requirements. Concerns extended beyond participant’s own coverage status and to their family members’ coverage as well as the stability of the Medicaid program overall as a result of recent policy changes. Many fear policy changes will make it harder for both themselves and their families to access insurance in the future Participants told us:

• They are fearful of the hospital shutting down as a result of Medicaid cuts and no longer being able to access care.
• One participant is afraid that work reporting requirements will impact that participant’s 19-year-old daughter.
• One participant fears that her husband will lose his insurance because of his inability to work.

What These Stories Tell Us

These experiences highlight that Medicaid is far more than an insurance program—it is a lifeline for many Arkansans and their families. Participants expressed gratitude for the Medicaid program during some of the most trying times in their lives but also described the devastation that occurs when access to that care is interrupted. Their stories show the importance of a healthcare system that is accessible and responsive to the realities that families face, ensuring they can access care when they need it without risking their health or economic well-being.