Podcast Summary: Uncared For – "Fighting for Maternal Healthcare in Arkansas"

Host: Soojin Pak (Lemonada Media)
Date: September 3, 2025

Overview

This episode of Uncared For dives deep into the maternal healthcare crisis in Arkansas—one of only two U.S. states (alongside Wisconsin) that haven't extended Medicaid coverage for postpartum women from two months to a full year. Through the story of Maya Gabarra, a Black mother of twins born extremely premature, the episode exposes the brutal gaps in the safety net, the bureaucratic hurdles, and the very real human costs of a fragmented healthcare system.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. A Traumatic Birth Experience

• Maya’s Early Delivery (02:03–12:51)
  • Maya recounts giving birth to twins at just 25 weeks. Her initial memory is seeing her sons in the NICU:

    "They just looked like little aliens...tiny and translucent." (01:49, Maya)

  • She describes feeling both awe and terror, uncertain if her babies would survive.

    "I was afraid to think about the future. I felt like I would be leaving there without children at that point." (09:49, Maya)

• Physical and Emotional Toll
  • Maya highlights how afterbirth care was lacking:

    "I felt more cared for before I had them. After, it felt like I was a non-factor...they were just trying to get me out." (13:16, Maya)

2. Postpartum Health Complications and Loss of Coverage

• Ongoing Physical Health Issues (14:55–19:59)

  • Following delivery, Maya experienced unbearable pain due to a gallbladder attack, linked to her pregnancy and preexisting conditions.
  • She required gallbladder removal surgery.

• Sudden Medicaid Loss (19:59–23:28)

  • While preparing for surgery, Maya discovers at the pharmacy that her Medicaid coverage is canceled:

    "I'm seeing that it's charging me full cost. And I'm like, what is happening? Wait, what?" (19:59, Maya)

  • She describes confusion, lack of notice, and being shifted to a new plan with more restrictions and paperwork.

3. The Bureaucratic Nightmare and Systemic Barriers

• Insurance Red Tape (21:24–25:55)

  • Maya confronts the labyrinth of referrals and in-network doctor limitations. Many providers don't treat adult women, and scheduled surgeries were delayed by months.

    "I just dropped everything and cried. I was so frustrated." (22:23, Maya)

  • Arkansas’ benefit application includes a 300-question form with invasive requirements—like submitting information on the children’s father, which for Maya posed safety concerns.

• Mental & Chronic Health Sacrificed (25:55–28:06)

  • After losing Medicaid in July 2024, Maya goes untreated for mental health, rheumatoid arthritis, and autoimmune issues:

    "I've been going untreated for all of it...for my mental health, for the rheumatoid arthritis, for the Sjogren's..." (26:14, Maya)

4. Caring for Medically Complex Children

• An Exhausting Daily Grind (27:00–39:00)

  • Maya's twins have severe health challenges: one is ventilator-dependent, the other has a feeding tube. Their care is a 24/7 operation, with frequent hospitalizations and specialist appointments.
  • Maya can't work outside the home—and private insurance premiums are unaffordable.

• Resilience & Sacrifice

  • On what keeps her going:

    "They do, they do. I love them so much. My love for them keeps me going every day...they motivate me to get up and go every day and to...focus on myself so that I can just be a better mom and a better human." (37:48, Maya)

  • She stresses the necessity of caring for herself to be there for her children, despite untreated health issues and high blood pressure.

5. Advocacy, Legislative Failure, and Call for Change

• Legislative Hopes Dashed (31:44–35:08)

  • In April, an Arkansas House-passed bill to extend Medicaid postpartum coverage died in the Senate committee. Testimony from women like Danielle Wright highlighted the stakes:

    "Recovering from an emergency C-section...as a single mother and seeking mental health therapy for myself, I could not get help. Moms and families need support during this time..." (32:14, Danielle Wright)

  • Maya’s message to legislators:

    "Shame on you...It's so easy to sit in an office and to make these decisions for other people's lives that you would never have to experience on your own...It is horrific and it is terrifying." (33:23, Maya)

• Systemic Impact

  • Nearly 40% of new mothers in Arkansas lose Medicaid coverage post-60-days, forced to navigate a “confusing system which will only get more complicated and bare bones.” (35:08, Soojin)
  • Recent Medicaid cuts and proposed work requirements will make access even harder for families like Maya's.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Living with Chronic Discomfort (07:06)

  "I have felt so much discomfort in my body for, like, as early as I can remember that, honestly, I have become exceedingly comfortable with being uncomfortable." (07:06, Maya)

• The Absurd Complexity of Insurance (21:24–22:23)

  "I needed a referral for everything...I was not used to that. It was a nightmare...I just dropped everything and cried." (21:24–22:23, Maya)

• On Legislators’ Responsibility (33:23–35:08)

  "Shame on you...where is your humanity?...As much as I want to explain my anger, I really want to express my fear and how terrorizing it is to navigate the system." (33:23, Maya)

• On Motivation and Motherhood (37:48–39:00)

  "My love for them keeps me going every day...I have the most special jobs...it's also rewarding on a level that I can't even describe." (37:48, Maya)

Key Timestamps

• 01:49 – Maya's first memories of her twins in the NICU
• 04:18 – Description of twins, pregnancy timeline
• 07:06 – Living with discomfort and missed early symptoms
• 09:49 – Fear and uncertainty during delivery
• 13:16 – Feeling "thrown away" after birth
• 19:59 – Realization of insurance loss at the pharmacy
• 22:23 – Describing the insurance and provider runaround
• 26:14 – Going untreated for chronic conditions
• 32:14 – Testimony about losing coverage (Danielle Wright)
• 33:23 – Maya’s direct message to legislators
• 37:48 – Maya on what motivates her amid adversity
• 40:05 – Reflection on what life could look like with proper care

Conclusion & Takeaways

The episode lays bare the stakes for maternal healthcare access in Arkansas, showing the cascading effects of bureaucratic neglect and policy inaction. Through Maya’s story, listeners witness how easy it is for parents to fall through the cracks and how these gaps are not just technical or political—they are profoundly human.

Host Soojin Pak’s closing thought:

“These aren't just policy debates, they're about real people who deserve better. This healthcare system and its many gaps isn't our only option. Our care is a choice we’re making as a country—and we can choose differently.” (41:00)

Get Involved

• If you live in Arkansas, pressure your legislators for postpartum Medicaid extension.
• Support organizations such as Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families for continued advocacy on maternal healthcare.

For more resources:

• Commonwealth Fund
• Word in Black
• Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families

This summary was created to deliver a comprehensive yet accessible account of the episode for listeners and advocates alike, capturing the urgency and humanity at the heart of maternal healthcare policy debates.