And This Shout Out Goes to....FLORIDA CHAIN!!

And This Shout Out Goes to...Florida CHAIN!!!

Amidst a challenging political environment for Medicaid expansion efforts, Florida CHAIN Organizer Ryan Morris found a way to show how much of a “joke” rejecting Medicaid expansion is for the sick and working poor. Recently, Ryan recruited four Florida consumers to share their powerful stories on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Each individual opened up about how Medicaid expansion would improve their lives and be, as Al Madrigal says, “better for America.” One consumer shared how he has environmentally-induced asthma and visits the emergency department for his illness. Another consumer shared how his wife has degenerative disk disorder with limited treatment options. Their stories complemented info graphics showing millions of people falling in the Medicaid Coverage Gap.  

Without Medicaid, these Florida consumers and many more in the 24 other states rejecting Medicaid expansion will continue to face inadequate, inaccessible health coverage. Florida CHAIN’s contribution to The Daily Show demonstrates the power of storytelling and storybanking to counter Medicaid expansion’s opposition. As Daily Show correspondent Al Madrigal shared on air, it’s difficult to talk about rejecting Medicaid expansion “with the real people affected by it.” The segment is yet another example of Florida CHAIN’s wonderful work capturing and sharing stories of real people who would benefit from Medicaid expansion. Florida CHAIN actively posts videos on its Facebook page and website of Florida consumers who deserve better health care coverage instead of falling in the Coverage Gap. We’re excited to see Florida CHAIN’s work with The Daily Show sharing consumers’ voices from states that haven’t expanded Medicaid. We’re proud of Ryan and our friends at Florida CHAIN for their storybanking efforts putting Medicaid expansion and consumer stories under the national spotlight. Congratulations, Florida CHAIN!

And our runner-up is….SOUTHERN ADVOCATES! 

There were multiple connections to southern advocates in The Daily Show segment. The physician and Medicaid expansion advocate interviewed is Dr. Harry Heiman, the Board Chair for Georgians for a Healthy Future! He made the powerful point that Medicaid expansion fits in with government’s “best ideas”. Finally, the poll used to show “widespread support” for Medicaid expansion in the south was conducted by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, where former Community Catalyst board member Dr. Brian Smedley is the Director of Health Policy. Congratulations to our southern advocates for getting the message out!