Speakers: Willie Simmons, Business Owner
Willie Simmons: Hello, my name is Willie, and I'm in Dougherty County.
Do you currently have health coverage?
Willie Simmons: Yes, I do have, uh, health insurance. I have it through Georgia Access.
How has having health coverage impacted your daily life?
Willie Simmons: My last doctor visit, my doctor discovered that I had an inflamed pancreas, pancreas, and so she sent me in for a CT scan. So she's thinking that I might have pancreatic situations going on with my pancreas. So having health insurance helps me relieve the stress a little bit knowing that they are able to determine what is causing my pancreas to inflame. And not paying anything out of my pocket really helps my stress levels. So it keeps me from worrying saying, OK, what's wrong? But I know having health insurance, going to the right doctor will get the problem resolved.
Do you support full Medicaid expansion?
Willie Simmons: Yes, I think it's very important that Medicaid needs to be expanded across the board so that everybody can get the right health care, um, whether they're elderly, whether they're disabled, it needs to be expanded so we can get everybody the right health coverage. So, yes, it needs to be expanded across the board. Yes.
Do you think it is important for everyone to have access to health care?
Willie Simmons: I feel that it's very important for everyone to have access to health care coverage because of the way times are going now, I mean, like in my family, we have a, a high rate of colon cancer. So without having access to healthcare insurance, they would probably already be deceased. And so it's very important cause if you don't have insurance, this is doctors will turn you down, even if you go to Phoebe or wherever you may go. So it's very important to, that everyone have the access to get healthcare, to have what they need to get their health taken care of.
What would you like your elected officials to know about your experience with Georgia's health care system?
Willie Simmons: I would tell my elected official about Georgia Access uh experience that I have experienced with them that it has been a great experience. I mean, uh. I hadn't had any, any problems or any situations that has come up with through Georgia I says and having health care through them with any physician, any hospital, whatever it may be. Um, I like the other day when I was having my CT scan, they didn't call me to the day of to approve. To give me the approval and Phoebe was saying you can't come, we need to reschedule because you're not approved yet. But hey, having it through Georgia Access, it made it so much easier. They approved that. I got my CT scan and my results are great, so, yeah.
