Wanda Bankston: When an Accident Changed Everything, Medicaid Became Her Lifeline

Wanda Bankston lives in DeKalb County, Georgia. After a career as a heavy equipment operator for Fulton County Government where she had employer sponsored insurance, Wanda now utilizes Medicaid for her coverage. After an on-the-job accident close to her retirement, she had to have back surgery to replace two discs. As of 2025, she still needs two more replaced.  “The accident left me without anything,” Wanda said, citing corruption within the justice system following the incident, “So I’m very thankful for the Medicaid.”

Wanda can see doctors, has a primary care doctor, has her prescriptions covered for little to no cost and can visit specialists. However, she still faces limitations with her care, “Certain doctors, they don’t want to accept Medicaid because of the limitations on them…I’ve had a few specialists that would not accept Medicaid.”

Even though Medicaid does not allow her to see the specialists she would like to see, she remains grateful. “I am still thankful for the Medicaid because I am able to still get my needs met there,” she said. Without it, she says she would be in really bad shape. “I thank God for it because I’m able to be able to continue to see about my health through it all,” she said.

Having never been without insurance, Wanda worries about the potential loss of her access to coverage. “Just to think of it is enough to say I don’t want to be in that predicament. Because that will leave me to where I’m vulnerable as to getting the care that I need for my health.”

Asked what she would tell Congress, Wanda said, “I did not plan on being on Medicaid. I structured my life that I wouldn’t have to be on Medicaid or any other kind of entity program. With that being said, however, it has been a blessing given I was thrust into this situation. It has been a blessing that I had the Medicaid because without that, I would not have been able to take care of my health as well as I have now.”