The Problem
Medicaid is critical to the entire healthcare system in Alabama. Over one million Alabamians are covered by the program and more than half of the recipients are children. The rest are mainly the elderly, disabled and people with persistent mental health issues. Not only does Medicaid provide services to these populations, but also enables hospitals, doctors, nursing homes and rehabilitation centers to provide care for all Alabamians by providing much needed dollars to support those entities. If Medicaid went away, the majority of hospitals in the state would close and doctors and pediatricians would leave the state in mass.
The Concept
Our goal is to educate the public and state leaders about who exactly is a Medicaid recipient. As decisions are made in Montgomery about how to fund the program, many lawmakers and citizens simply see the dollar signs...but there are faces behind the numbers. We want to remind Alabamians of the human impact of not supporting this vital component of our healthcare system.
The Campaign
#IamMedicaid is a campaign designed to give individuals a way to change the conversation around Medicaid. There are misconceptions out there about who receives help and why...let's change those. This is an opportunity for individuals who receive Medicaid, their family members, their physicians and concerned Alabama citizens to show that there are real people with real issues being impacted by the decisions made surrounding Medicaid funding.
The Content
Your photos and stories are powerful. We plan to use them in our social media communications, providing a striking image to go along with our message to support Medicaid. This will help build community support and educate others about the importance of the program. We ask that everyone who participates use the hashtag #IamMedicaid when posting their photos to Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat or Twitter. We also encourage you to write your own personal story and submit it to us. These will be used to further demonstrate the humanity behind Medicaid and we will use them when we communicate with lawmakers, the media, and in other publications on the topic.
Get Involved
Join the campaign! You just need a smartphone or camera, this pre-printed sign, and social media. It really is easier than you think. Here are the basic steps:
1. Print this sign out or pick one up at your local physicians office.
2. Ask someone to take a picture of you holding the top half of the sheet.
3. Post this picture to all your social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) with the hashtag #IamMedicaid.
4. If you would like us to share your story, email us at evey@alabamachildrenfirst.com.
5. Share this sign with others and ask them to join the campaign!
Tweet directly at your legislator for the best impact. For your legislators Twitter info click here.