Three Buckets: A comic about barriers to people on Medicaid

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Our Access and Outreach Team are skilled and dedicated professionals who help connect people to the health services they need. And in the course of their work, they hear a lot of stories about the difficulties in the healthcare system that stand in the way of people getting care.

Daphne Pie, a longtime leader of the Access and Outreach Team, shared her insights for a comics project in 2025 that marked ten years of Seattle/King County Clinic. As Daphne explains, when some of the barriers prove too high, Seattle/King County Clinic is one of the few options available for people to get medical, dental, and vision services.

In a comic strip, Daphne, who manages a team that connects people to health services at Public Health - Seattle & King County, explains when they help people on Medicaid, they run into barriers that fall into 3 buckets.
Comic panel shows bucket #1: Finding appointments. A dentist shows two documents, one for reimbursement from private insurace at $190 and one from Medicaid at $66. He says that his business manager would have something to say about how many Medicaid patients he should take.
Daphne's narration explains that not every provider takes Medicaid patients, and those that do limit how many they take. A person is shown calling a medical office to schedule an x-ray, but they don't take Apple Health.
Daphne's narration says that insurance companies need to stop allowing providers to limit Medicaid. The patient calls another medical office to try to get an x-ray, but they don't have any appointments for the next 5 months.
Daphne's bucket #2 is that people are priced out. With minimum wage going up, many on Medicaid who can't get insurance from their employers get an earnings increase. A mom is shown happily telling her kids that she got a raise.
Daphne explains that people may no longer qualify for Medicaid and other subsidized programs. They're getting more money per hour, but they're priced out. The mom is shown trying to pay bills, looking discouraged because she's lost basic food and childcare assistance and her rent has gone up. She's can't afford health insurance.
Daphne's bucket #3: Immigrants can't always enroll in insurance. She is shown trying to help someone who left Congo due to the war and couldn't take anything and hasn't been given authorization for employment.
Daphne apologizes the man she's trying to help. She can only get some services for his young child. The program for undocumented adults is full and the least expensive insurance plan is $200 a month. He exclaims that he has no money.
Daphne and her colleague wearing volunteer shirts at Seattle/King County Clinic, sitting next to a sign reading "Help with Health Services." She waves at the people shown as having barriers. Daphne says she's glad to see them at Seattle/King County Clinic. It's been a beautiful thing for them to go once a year to get services they need.

Comic by Meredith Li-Vollmer.

How to get help from Access and Outreach

Open enrollment continues through January 15, 2026. The Access and Outreach Team will be at different locations to offer help enrolling in affordable health care insurance options. If your insurance costs are changing, they can help you look for comparable plans that may fit your budgetary needs.

On Saturday, January 10th, they will be at Highland Park Elementary in Delridge from 10 am – 2 pm with open enrollment assistance, free immunizations, and other free health services on site. More information about enrollment events: kingcounty.gov/coverage

Year-round, Access and Outreach can help you find community health options and other county services, like medical providers, food and energy assistance, breast cancer and dental care options, and discounted ORCA cards for those who qualify. Services available in-person, by phone or email from Access and Outreach.

Volunteers needed for Seattle/King County Clinic

Seattle/King County Clinic returns to Seattle Center on April 23-26, 2026 with free medical, dental, and vision care for those in need. Volunteers make this incredible event possible, and non-medical and medical volunteers are needed! Sign up or learn more about Seattle/King County Clinic.

Originally published on 1/10/26.