Fannie | Bethel, AK
Growing up, Fannie learned about her own health through her family background. Both of her grandparents had multiple strokes in their late 80s. Although Fannie was born and raised in Bethel, she lived most of her adult life in Oregon after graduating from college.
Two years ago, she wanted a change of pace and decided to come home to Alaska, but her move was stressful; in her words, "I didn't expect to have all these health problems when I moved here." Within her first week of coming to Anchorage, her doctor diagnosed her with high blood pressure, requiring various medications to manage her cardiac levels. Once she moved to Bethel, she was unemployed, but Medicaid helped Fannie gain access to prescriptions to manage her blood pressure, mitigate stress, and find a job. She now works full-time at a non-profit in her hometown. Since her job does not provide health insurance, Medicaid helps her to this day, accessing the preventive care she needs to decrease the risk of emergencies later in life.
