‘It’s going to impact every Washingtonian’: $700M Medicaid cuts loom over state

Washington could lose an estimated $700 million annually if President Donald Trump’s proposed spending cuts toward Medicaid come to fruition, the Washington State Hospital Association confirmed.

Legislation for these cuts was passed by a House committee Wednesday. Now scheduled for a floor vote next week, the bill calls for billions of dollars in reductions to the Medicaid program nationwide.

“It’s going to impact every Washingtonian, not just those folks who are in Medicaid,” Jacqueline Barton True, MSW, MPH, vice president of advocacy and rural health for the Washington State Hospital Association, said on “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio. “What that means is the state is going to have to find ways to make up that money, and some of that’s going to go to the state government, and they’re going to have to either decide to reduce benefits or cut people who currently get coverage. Some of that’s going to go directly to providers. That’s long-term care, folks. That’s hospitals. It’s community clinics, and they’re going to have to make choices about what services are offered.”

According to the Washington State Hospital Association, half the births in Washington are under Medicaid. Barton True believes there will be fewer available appointments for both simple and complex health issues, while numerous services will be diminished or cut altogether to make ends meet.

“I think we’ll see hospitals reduce more to their core,” Barton True said. “If you could receive your chemotherapy in a lot of areas around the Seattle region, you might see that get consolidated into one place, and you might have to wait a little bit longer for appointments for your therapies, after a surgery, those sorts of things. I think we’re going to see that we won’t have the same availability across the board that we do now.”

WA covers undocumented individuals through Medicaid

Washington is a state that covers undocumented people within Medicaid, using state-only funds instead of federal money. But, under the Trump administration, any state that is using resources to cover undocumented immigrants will have its federal funding cut, even if the state doesn’t use federal funds for this specific coverage.

Earlier this week, Valley Medical Center closed five clinics, including an urgent care center in Renton. It’s consolidating two other clinics and closing two hospital units by June 27. The provider estimates that 50% of its 4,000 employees will be affected by the moves, although it is not clear how many will ultimately lose their jobs

According to Barton True, undocumented people do not make up “a huge percentage” of hospital care.

“Immigration is not the business of hospitals,” she added.

“What is your advice to people who are listening right now and hearing that we’re going to take a $700 million hit a year?” Ursula Reutin, co-host of “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio, asked.

“I would encourage folks to be proactive. Wait times, if these cuts go through, will increase,” Barton True answered. “Make sure you’re getting those things scheduled. The other thing I’ll say is that public policy is important, and there are two Republican members of Washington’s state delegation; there are folks at the federal level who are listening. I encourage folks to reach out to their individual member of Congress. Encourage them to fight back on these cuts. Talk to them about how important health care is, and get engaged in that process.”

Listen to the full conversation here.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.