How One Medicaid Member Went From Experiencing Homelessness to Feeling Empowered and Hopeful

Being as healthy as you can be is more difficult when you don’t have a safe place to call home; homelessness affects both physical and mental health. James Bastel, an Amerigroup Medicaid member, has experienced homelessness that led to him building a fire to keep warm. That fire left him with severe burns and an uncertain outlook. After building a trustful bond with Tina Derrick, a case manager with his health plan, James learned more about his healthcare, built relationships with his providers, and became involved with programs that met his physical, behavioral, and social needs. Now he’s living in his own apartment and is excited about his future.  “They just fought hard for me,” he said of his case manager and her team. “I just appreciate it so much. I’m in a good place.”