At least 274,000 people in Washington state could lose their health insurance under the Republican plan through steep cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, according to nonpartisan estimates
Parent of young Washington state resident on Medicaid: “It is absolutely devastating to think that a singular vote from a group of people who don’t know Nate, and don’t fully understand the terrifying impact losing Medicaid could have, could take this all away from him, all in the name of reducing waste.”
*** VIDEO OF FULL PRESS CONFERENCE HERE***
***PHOTOS AND B-ROLL FROM EVENT HERE***
Seattle, WA — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), senior member of the Senate Finance Committee and ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, held a press conference laying out how Republicans’ reconciliation bill that passed through the House this week will be devastating for Washington state’s health care system and the 1.95 million people across Washington state who rely on Apple Health, Washington state’s Medicaid program, and the 300,000+ Washingtonians who access coverage through the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace (Washington Healthplanfinder).
The legislation passed by House Republicans last week would cut nearly $1 trillion from America’s health care system and is the largest cut to Medicaid in history. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the legislation will lead to 13.7 million Americans getting kicked off their health insurance—between the drastic cuts to Medicaid and the sabotage of the Affordable Care Act and refusal to expand tax credits Democrats passed to lower health insurance premiums.
At least 274,000 people in Washington state could lose their health insurance under the Republican plan, according to estimates based on the nonpartisan CBO’s analysis. That includes approximately 194,000 people in Washington state who will lose Medicaid coverage, and approximately 79,000 people who will lose ACA coverage. This figure doesn’t even account for the more sweeping health care cuts that House Republicans slotted in and passed at the last minute in the early morning of May 22nd. Among other things, Republicans’ bill would institute work reporting requirements, which have been proven not to increase employment and just strip health care coverage from people who are already working or exempt—this would put more than 620,000 Washingtonians at risk of losing their health care coverage or having it delayed because of a wall of new paperwork. The Republican bill would also reduce the federal match rate by 10 percent for states like Washington that provide health care coverage to noncitizens—this would be a devastating $460 million annual loss in federal Medicaid funding for Washington state, or nearly a $2 billion loss over the next four years. Additionally, the Republican bill includes a provision to defund Planned Parenthood, threatening the closure of up to 200 health centers across the country. Planned Parenthood runs 26 health centers in Washington state. Republicans are advancing the legislation through the budget reconciliation process, which only requires a simple majority to pass in both chambers of Congress.
“The legislation Republicans are pushing through Congress is the largest cut to Medicaid in American history—let that sink in. In Washington state, we are looking at: at least 194,000 people losing their Apple Health coverage under this bill. And that number rises to a quarter of a million people in our state getting kicked off their health care if you include all the ways Republicans are sabotaging the ACA in this bill and letting important health care tax credits for middle class families expire. Under Republicans’ bill, Washington state would lose an estimated 2 billion dollars in federal Medicaid funding over the next four years—that’s catastrophic for our state’s budget,” said Senator Murray. “Altogether, the health care cuts in Republicans’ mega-bill will mean hospitals and nursing homes shutting down—especially in rural areas—millions of people getting kicked off Medicaid or their coverage under the Affordable Care Act, people blocked from accessing the benefits they are rightly eligible for because of a new wall of paperwork and red tape, Planned Parenthood health centers closing their doors, kids with disabilities losing out on the care they need, medical debt skyrocketing, and insurers leaving the Marketplace, leaving families and small business owners with little or no options for coverage. Needless to say—all of that means higher costs and less access to care for everyone, not just people on Medicaid.”
“For the life of me I do not understand how some of the same Republicans who represent the areas of our state most reliant on Medicaid ever looked at this bill, looked at what it would do to the people they serve and said, ‘count me in!’ The fact of the matter is not complicated. Republicans want to pass a bill that will hurt the middle class and working families, to give a handout to some of the richest companies on the planet. Republicans know that is bad policy. They know that is massively unpopular—they know they are adding trillions to the national debt. That is why they are trying to jam this through with as little scrutiny as possible. Remember, we managed to stop Trump and Republicans from repealing the Affordable Care Act back in 2017. Public outcry matters—we have seen that even this administration is not totally immune from public pressure. We need to show Republicans that the American people are watching, and they will have to answer to their constituents,” Senator Murray continued.
“The people here in Washington who have to deal with this issue — who know that their rural hospitals could go under, or their health clinics could be affected, or the cost of care could go up in their communities and make everything more expensive — they know that we also have to stop this legislation. We need to say to the President of the United States: He has to stop trying to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. He cannot propose ideas that literally will leave these providers without resources,” Senator Cantwell said. “We do not need to have Robin Hood in reverse. We do not need to steal from Medicaid the stability of our health care system and give a tax break to big corporations. We need to stop this effort as soon as possible. Senator Murray and I will be fighting every day on the Senate floor to convince our colleagues that this is not only a wrongheaded approach — it is going to cost the American people.”
One in five adults, three in five nursing home residents, and three in eight people with disabilities in Washington are covered by Apple Health. Medicaid provides health care for over 800,000 children in Washington state—nearly half of children—and more than 45 percent of births in Washington state are covered by Medicaid—in rural Washington, that number goes up to more than 70 percent on births. Medicaid is also largest payer for opioid use disorder treatment in Washington state. Washington state spends approximately $21 billion on Medicaid annually—approximately $8 billion of that is paid for by the state, and approximately $13 billion is paid for by the federal government.
“As a physician, I see firsthand how lack of health insurance leads to delayed care, resulting in more death, more advanced diseases that are significantly more expensive to treat, and more economic burden. Denying access to health insurance shifts the financial burden to emergency services and public systems, ultimately increasing overall healthcare costs for taxpayers,” said Dr. Jesus Iniguez, Medical Director at Sea Mar Community Health Centers.
“Nurses are present at every level of care delivery. We are on the front line, and deal with the consequences when patients avoid care because of a lack of coverage. These cuts are not only cruel – they are harmful to the stability of our entire healthcare system and will not only impact those who are on Medicaid. We will all feel it. The ripple effect of something as monumental as the cuts they are currently proposing would send shock waves throughout the entire health care system, reducing access to care for millions,” said Edna Cortez, a pediatric nurse and member of the Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA).
“If the bill that passed the US House last week becomes law, it will be one of the most devastating attacks on health care access in American history. By banning Planned Parenthood from seeing Medicaid patients, the bill targets our organization and the patients who rely on us for care every day. The people who passed this bill wish for Planned Parenthood health centers to close their doors, and for people to lose access to affordable health care – and for many, access to health care altogether. And if this bill becomes law, their unbelievably cruel wish will be granted. Health centers will close, maybe even here in Washington. Planned Parenthood Federation of America estimates that 200 health centers will close nationwide, 90 percent of which are located in states like Washington where abortion is still legal. As you’ve heard today, people will lose their insurance coverage through cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act,” said Brita Lund, Manager of Planned Parenthood Northgate Health Center. “Nearly 40 percent of our affiliate’s patients in Western Washington are Medicaid recipients. This is about much more than abortion, which already cannot be covered by federal Medicaid dollars. This money goes to birth control, cancer screenings, and STI testing. All of which are now at risk. Every single day at the health center I manage in Northgate, we help people sign up for Apple Health and Medicaid. Not just help them access services – we ask them a few screening questions and then show them how to enroll in the program, because when they walked through the door, they did not have insurance – and many did not even know it was an option available to them. Our front desk receptionist is the longest tenured employee in our Planned Parenthood affiliate, and might be the longest tenured Planned Parenthood employee in the state. She estimates that she personally enrolls one to three people every single work day. Over her career of 36 years, that means she has likely enrolled more than 1800 people. And that’s just her. There are providers and staff like her at every Planned Parenthood health center in the country, and at places like Sea Mar, who help patients sign up for Medicaid. Because everyone deserves to get the care they need, no matter what. If this bill becomes law, hospitals will close. Clinics will close. Long term care facilities will close. And everyone, not just Medicaid recipients, will be punished.”
“Nate is 20 years old and autistic. He has an intellectual disability and requires support throughout the day to ensure his needs are met, much of which he receives through Home and Community Based Waiver services. Nate has a job at our local neighborhood pizza shop, where he works four hours a week building pizza boxes and doing other odd jobs with the support of a job coach. He of course gets a paycheck for his work, but he also gets a free slice of pizza and a coke after every shift, which he loves. He adores his job and is so proud of the ways he contributes to his community. Building the life of his dreams, and filling his days with enrichment and social connection when school ends, will not be easy, but with the help of Medicaid services the way they are now, Medicaid services such as health insurance, employment support, personal care, and home and community based waiver services, we’re starting to see a pathway to making it a reality. It’s a steep one, but the pathway is there,” said Rachel Nemhauser, parent of Nate and the Director of Family Support Services at The Arc of King County. Nate is one of the almost 280,000 adults with disabilities on Medicaid in Washington state, and Rachel shared his story with his permission. “But if the proposed Medicaid cuts go through, this dream vanishes. It threatens to reduce or eliminate the job support he counts on, making it impossible for him to stay employed. It threatens to reduce his access to health care, making it harder for people with vulnerable health to stay healthy and continue to work. It threatens to create paperwork and administrative barriers so burdensome and complicated that it’s almost impossible not to make a mistake once in a while. It is absolutely devastating to think that a singular vote from a group of people who don’t know Nate, and don’t fully understand the terrifying impact losing Medicaid could have, could take this all away from him, all in the name of reducing waste.”
Nationwide, nearly half of children in America are enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Medicaid pays for nearly half of births in the U.S. Medicaid also pays for services for 2 in 3 nursing home residents and pays for home-based services for close to 2 million seniors—allowing them to age safely at home—as well as close to 3 million people with disabilities and other health conditions. Medicaid also covers 1 in 4 people with a mental health or substance use disorder, and serves as the largest payer for mental health and substance use services for communities nationwide amid an ongoing overdose and opioid epidemic made worse by an influx of fentanyl.
Recent polling from KFF Health found 82 percent of adults think Medicaid funding should either increase or stay the same and large majorities of people across parties, those who voted for Trump in 2024, and adults living in rural areas say the program is “very important” for their local community. Polling from Hart Research found that 71 percent of voters who backed Trump said cutting Medicaid would be unacceptable, and voters overall were even more opposed to it.
Senator Murray’s full remarks at today’s press conference are below:
“Republicans are looking to make history of the absolute worst kind.
“Last week, overnight, House Republicans passed the single largest transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich in the history of our country.
“Reading this bill, you realize pretty quickly why did this in the dead of night. At least 7.6 million people losing Medicaid coverage, millions more losing health coverage and seeing costs go up, students having their Pell Grants cut, not to mention the biggest cut to SNAP in history—all to help fuel up corporate jets and executive bonuses with tax cuts for billionaires.
“But—bad news for Republicans—we are not going to let them keep the American people in the dark. We are going to put a bright and burning spotlight on this big, ugly, disaster of a bill. The legislation Republicans are pushing through Congress is the largest cut to Medicaid in American history—let that sink in.
“In Washington state, we are looking at least 194,000 people losing their Apple Health coverage under this bill. And that number rises to a quarter of a million people in our state getting kicked off their health care if you include all the ways Republicans are sabotaging the ACA in this bill and letting important health care tax credits for middle class families expire.
“Under Republicans’ bill, Washington state would lose an estimated 2 billion dollars in federal Medicaid funding over the next four years—that’s catastrophic for our state’s budget. And on top of all that Republicans’ bill would defund Planned Parenthood—a longtime goal of anti-abortion extremists that would be absolutely devastating for women’s health care in our state and across the country. Defunding Planned Parenthood would put 200 health centers at risk of closure across the country and put critical cancer screenings and birth control even further out of reach. And by the way, it would actually cost taxpayers money $300 million dollars over the next decade, according to nonpartisan estimates.
“Altogether, the health care cuts in Republicans’ mega-bill will mean: hospitals and nursing homes shutting down—especially in rural areas; millions of people getting kicked off Medicaid or their coverage under the Affordable Care Act; people blocked from accessing the benefits they are rightly eligible for because of a new wall of paperwork and red tape; Planned Parenthood health centers closing their doors; kids with disabilities losing out on the care they need; medical debt skyrocketing; and insurers leaving the Marketplace, leaving families and small business owners with little or no options for coverage.
“Needless to say, all of that means higher costs and less access to care for everyone, not just people on Medicaid. But I have to say, for the life of me, I do not understand how some of the same Republicans who represent the areas of our state most reliant on Medicaid—ever—looked at this bill, looked at what it would do to the people they serve, and said, “count me in!”
“Now, it’s worth noting, House Republicans did make some last-minute changes, but not what you might expect. They made sure more people will lose their health care sooner. And they made sure it will be more expensive to get health coverage on the exchanges. Oh, and don’t forget they got rid of a tax on gun silencers. Seriously—of all things!?
“The people at the top? The billionaires and biggest corporations? They are doing fine. You don’t need to shower them with money taken out of the pockets of struggling families.
“And you know what? If you want to help American businesses, all you have to do is pass legislation to stop Trump’s trade war which is hurting businesses and driving up costs. Doesn’t that sound better than taking food from hungry kids to give Elon Musk another tax break? Doesn’t that make more sense than kicking seniors out of nursing homes? Doesn’t that seem a little more reasonable that cutting patients off from their health care?
“The fact of the matter is not complicated. Republicans want to pass a bill that will hurt the middle class and working families, to give and handout to some of the richest companies on the planet. Republicans know that is bad policy. They know that is massively unpopular. They know they are adding trillions to the national debt. That is why they are trying to jam this through with as little scrutiny as possible.
“But we are putting this heist on full blast and fighting back against it with everything we’ve got. Remember, we managed to stop Trump and Republicans from repealing the Affordable Care Act back in 2017.
“So, my message to everyone is—now is the time to get loud, speak out, talk to your friends and family in Republican districts, call your Member of Congress. And remember, you are not powerless.
“Public outcry matters—we have seen that even this administration is not totally immune from public pressure. We need to show Republicans that the American people are watching, and they will have to answer to their constituents.”
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