Medicaid Diaries: How Medicaid Helped CHC’s Shannon George To Make Informed Decisions About Her Health

In 2007, I became pregnant with my son and applied for Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program. Thanks to Medi-Cal, I received OB services throughout my pregnancy, along with regular doctor visits for other health concerns. I was born with a congenital heart defect called Bicuspid Aortic Valve. It had always been asymptomatic, so I lived a normal life without needing medication or regular cardiovascular checkups. 

In January 2008, I gave birth to a healthy 9 lb. 3 oz. baby boy. A year and a half later, at the height of the recession, I moved from San Diego to Silicon Valley. We stayed with family, and I remained on Medi-Cal until I found a job that offered healthcare benefits. 

In 2010, I joined CHC part-time and began learning about our nonprofit partners. That’s when I came across an article on the Go Red for Women website—a program of the American Heart Association—it was about a young mother who had suddenly died after giving birth to her third child. She had the same congenital heart condition as I do and had developed an undiagnosed ascending aortic aneurysm. After delivery, it ruptured, and she bled to death internally before doctors could intervene. 

That story shook me. I immediately reached out to my primary care physician and requested an echocardiogram, a non-invasive heart ultrasound. I wanted to be proactive—not because I felt sick, but because the article had deeply unsettled me. Although my OB was aware of my heart defect, he had never mentioned potential postpartum risks. A part of me worried I was overreacting but it’s better to be safe than sorry. 

Two weeks later, I had the echocardiogram. The next day, I was told I did, in fact, have an ascending aortic aneurysm—it was just one millimeter shy of requiring surgery. Surgery that would have changed my life dramatically. 

That was 15 years ago. Today, thanks to consistent cardiovascular monitoring and making the extremely difficult decision not to have any more children, my aneurysm has remained stable. I’ve avoided surgery, and my risk of aortic dissection is now very low. I continue to prioritize a healthy lifestyle and advocate for my own health with my healthcare provider. 

I’m incredibly grateful to Medi-Cal, Go Red for Women, the American Heart Association, and to the physician who listened to me. Without all of them, I might not be here today. 

Medicaid is a lifeline for countless Americans—people in jobs without benefits, seniors, and those with disabilities. Without it, many would be forced to rely on overburdened community clinics and emergency rooms. When those systems are overwhelmed, the cost of care rises, wait times increase, and staff are stretched thin, all of which can affect the health of our communities.  

Access to healthcare should never be a luxury. We all benefit from living in healthy communities—and that’s only possible with programs like Medicaid. 

Shannon George

Program Manager
CHC: Creating Healthier Communities