Dual: The True Cost of Care

New Disabled South

Across the South, millions of disabled people are forced to navigate the impossible maze of Medicare and Medicaid. These programs were meant to protect them, but they are often designed in ways that fail them. Dual: The True Cost of Care reveals what it truly takes to survive in a system that was never built to care for everyone. Hosted by Stacey Abrams. Produced by New Disabled South. Supported by Arnold Ventures.

  1. West Virginia: The Poverty Trap

    Feb 19

    West Virginia: The Poverty Trap

    In the 14th and final episode of Dual: The True Cost of Care, we travel to Alabama to meet Bianca, a Black disabled mother, nurse, and eventual patient who had to learn to depend on the very programs she once spent her career supporting. Bianca grew up in an abusive household and built a life for herself through hard work and care for others. She worked at a state psychiatric hospital, steady and committed to her patients. But when COVID hit, everything changed. Her health changed, and Bianca suddenly found herself navigating Social Security and public benefits. Instead of finding support, she faced benefit restrictions, healthcare denials, and even feelings of shame for seeking care. Bianca’s story reflects what disabled people of color experience every day in the healthcare system. It reveals how racism and ableism shape who is believed, who is supported, and who is left waiting. Join us as we close out the true cost of care in the South. In this final episode, we ask: what does trust look like for disabled people of color navigating systems that have historically failed them, and how can we bridge the gap between institutions and the communities they claim to care for? Learn more about the project and our work:https://www.dualcostofcare.com/ Stay connected:Follow us on social media — @NewDisabledSouth This project was filmed and edited by District Film Co.

    21 min
  2. West Virginia: When Care Isn't Enough

    Feb 12

    West Virginia: When Care Isn't Enough

    In Episode 13 of our new original series, Dual: The True Cost of Care, we travel to West Virginia to meet Cori who became paralyzed after a sledding accident. Cori’s recovery wasn’t just about adjusting to a new life. It meant navigating massive systems like Medicare and Medicaid. From denials and short staffing to limited supplies like catheters and delayed treatments, Cori’s story reflects the reality of how these systems are supposed to provide care, and how they fail people at the same time. As we uncover the true cost of care in West Virginia, Cori’s story asks us to sit with an important question. What happens to someone’s life when they become disabled and the care they’re promised never shows up? Join us as we uncover the true cost of care in West Virginia. Learn more about the project and our work:https://www.dualcostofcare.com/ Stay connected: Follow us on social media — @NewDisabledSouth Join us next week for Episode 14 for our last episode of the season!  This project was filmed and edited by District Film Co.

    13 min
  3. Arkansas: Counting Pennies

    Feb 5

    Arkansas: Counting Pennies

    In Episode 12 of Dual: The True Cost of Care, we travel to Arkansas to meet Jacqueline, a disabled advocate with a master’s degree who advises federal officials on disability policy and serves on the state Medicaid board. Born with cerebral palsy and later diagnosed with cancer, Jacqueline’s story is one of self-advocacy and resilience, and one many disabled people know all too well. From navigating employment while on benefits to covering the cost of essential medical equipment, she shows what it takes to survive within systems that were never built for us. Jacqueline’s story poses a bigger question: who are these systems really built for, and why are so many disabled people still fighting just to access basic care? Join us as we uncover the true cost of care in Arkansas. Learn more about the project and our work: https://www.dualcostofcare.com/ Stay connected: Follow us on social media — @NewDisabledSouth Join us next week for Episode 13. We only have 2 episodes left in this season!  This project was filmed and edited by District Film Co.

    18 min
  4. Mississippi: We're Just Like Everybody Else

    Jan 29

    Mississippi: We're Just Like Everybody Else

    In Episode 11 of Dual: The True Cost of Care, we travel to Mississippi to meet Jennifer, a mother and fiancée navigating dual-eligibility while managing bipolar disorder, an invisible disability with real consequences. Jennifer relies on both Medicaid and Medicare, but having more insurance does not mean more access to care. The poverty traps tied to public benefits have limited her ability to work and forced her to delay marrying her fiancé in order to protect her family’s financial stability. As we uncover the true cost of care in Mississippi, this episode asks how systems meant to support people instead keep them trapped in poverty. Learn more about the project and our work: https://www.dualcostofcare.com/ Stay connected: Follow us on social media — @NewDisabledSouth Join us next week for Episode 12. We only have 3 episodes left in this season! This project was filmed and edited by District Film Co.

    17 min
  5. North Carolina: Watch Your Back

    Jan 22

    North Carolina: Watch Your Back

    In Episode 10 of Dual: The True Cost of Care, we meet a seventy-year-old person in North Carolina navigating co-pays, insurance claims, and nursing home care after a lifetime shaped by trauma, loss, and care decisions made without her consent. In a state where many decisions about their life and care were taken from them, this seventy-year-old’s story speaks to resilience and the realities of aging in the South. As we uncover the true cost of care in North Carolina, this episode asks a direct question: who are our care systems really protecting?  Learn more about the project and our work: https://www.dualcostofcare.com/ Stay connected: Follow us on social media — @NewDisabledSouth Join us next week for Episode 11, where we visit Jennifer in Mississippi. This project was filmed and edited by District Film Co.

    12 min
  6. Florida: It's a Waiting Game

    Jan 15

    Florida: It's a Waiting Game

    In Episode 9 of Dual: The True Cost of Care, we visit Stephanie and La’Mena in Florida. A mother and daughter facing a very common, but unspoken question of “who knows my child best?” In Florida, decisions about a child's care and who provides that care are most often left to the state, but Stephanie is refusing to accept that. This episode is about a mother fighting for her child’s care in a system that often leaves families out of decisions and forces them to ask: what happens when my child ages out of support? Who can I trust to care for my child? If the state doesn't cover this, will I have to step in? Watch now to learn more about Stephanie and La’Mena’s story, and the true cost of a system that treats care like a privilege instead of a right.  Learn more about the project and our work: https://www.dualcostofcare.com/ Stay connected: Follow us on social media — @NewDisabledSouth Join us next week for Episode 10, where we meet a seventy year old person in North Carolina navigating co-pays, claims, and the realities of nursing home care. This project was filmed and edited by District Film Co.

    13 min
  7. Tennessee: Bottom Of The Barrel

    Jan 9

    Tennessee: Bottom Of The Barrel

    In Episode 8 of Dual: The True Cost of Care, we visit Kim and Kathleen in Tennessee, a mother and daughter doing the best they can to navigate an already fractured system. This is a story about what happens when mental health care becomes warehousing, where family advocacy is the only thing standing between your loved ones surviving as opposed to being forced into the streets. Watch now to understand the lifelong impacts of adverse mental health outcomes and the continued mistreatment dual-eligible disabled people are subject to. In the episode, Kim and Kathleen describe how difficult it is to access and maintain health care benefits from Medicare and Medicaid, and how, without family advocacy, these complicated systems will push the most vulnerable people of our community into devastation. Watch now to learn more about Kim and Kathleen’s story. Learn more about the project and our work: https://www.dualcostofcare.com/ Stay connected: Follow us on social media — @NewDisabledSouth Join us next week for Episode 9, where we will visit Stephany in Florida. This project was filmed and edited by District Film Co.

    19 min
  8. Oklahoma: Right Now, Joy is Difficult

    Jan 1

    Oklahoma: Right Now, Joy is Difficult

    In Episode 7 of Dual: The True Cost of Care, we visit Briana in Oklahoma. Briana is a talented artist whose disability journey began in childhood when she was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Over the span of three decades, Briana’s health has continued to change, while resources like Medicaid and Medicare remain limited, subjecting Briana and her family to poverty traps, marriage penalties, inaccessible health care, and additional stress and uncertainty. In the episode, Briana describes how difficult it is to access and maintain health care benefits from Medicare and Medicaid, but how easy it is to lose said benefits. Watch now to learn more about Brianna’s story.  Learn more about the project and our work: https://www.dualcostofcare.com/ Stay connected: Follow us on social media — @NewDisabledSouth Join us next week for Episode 8, where we will visit Kim and Kathleen in Tennessee.  This project was filmed and edited by District Film Co.

    15 min
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About

Across the South, millions of disabled people are forced to navigate the impossible maze of Medicare and Medicaid. These programs were meant to protect them, but they are often designed in ways that fail them. Dual: The True Cost of Care reveals what it truly takes to survive in a system that was never built to care for everyone. Hosted by Stacey Abrams. Produced by New Disabled South. Supported by Arnold Ventures.

Information

  • Creator
    New Disabled South
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © New Disabled South 2025
  • Show Website
    Dual: The True Cost of Care