The Story of How Texas Medicaid Helps Families Keep Diabetes in Check

Like most kids, Katheen Eidson’s’ three children, Kyla (17), Kaiden (13) and Halsey (11), love being active, playing sports and hanging out with their friends. But for Kathleen, keeping her children healthy and out of the hospital is a particularly tough challenge, because all three have been diagnosed with type 1 juvenile diabetes.

Kathleen’s kids are members of the Medicaid STAR health insurance program, and she has relied on Driscoll Health Plan for their care for the past nine years. Texas Medicaid covers their medical expenses and provides one-on-one education and support for Kathleen and her children – helping coordinate care and navigate a complex health care system – both in and out of the doctor’s office.

Medicaid health plans hire experts like community health aide Dee Dee Urban to help families coordinate care. Dee Dee works with Kathleen to educate the three Eidson children on the nature of diabetes and how to live with it, so they can lead normal, happy, healthy lives.

“I like how she walks us through things step by step,” says Kyla. “She’s always happy to help show us something that will help us. She has been a great teacher.” For Kathleen, Texas Medicaid has been a critical source of support, coordinating her children’s care, navigating roadblocks and checking in with her regularly to make sure the family’s needs are being met. “Dee Dee has become like our own personal support system. It’s been wonderful having her to help our family,” says Kathleen. “She checks up on me instead of me having to reach out to her. If we do need to call, we can call anytime and get a fast response. If there’s anything we need, Driscoll Health Plan is right on top of it… we don’t have to wait weeks for anything. I don’t know what we would do without it!”

Texas Medicaid serves nearly 300,000 Texans living with diabetes each year, providing them with vital health care coverage that would likely be out of reach without Medicaid. Through this important program, Texans with diabetes are learning invaluable lessons on keeping their diabetes in check, receiving the medications they need and regulating their blood sugar so they can stay healthy and out of the hospital.

Watch now to learn how Texas Medicaid is helping families like the Eidsons keep diabetes in check and lead healthy, active lives.