KENNEWICK — At a press conference Thursday at Kennewick’s Regency Canyon Lakes Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, Governor Bob Ferguson joined health care workers and advocates to urge Congress to abandon proposed cuts to safety net services, including Medicaid. Nearly 2 million Washingtonians — roughly 1 in 5 — are enrolled in Apple Health, the state’s Medicaid program.

Republicans in Congress are proposing $1.1 trillion in cuts over the next 10 years, including the largest cut to Medicaid in history, totaling $700 billion. The bill threatens health care access in Washington, especially in rural areas, and could cause Washington state to lose an estimated $1 billion in hospital reimbursements by 2031.

Medicaid is a critical partnership between federal and state governments. Washington spends $21 billion on Medicaid annually. Each year, approximately $8 billion of that is paid for by the state, and $13 billion if paid for by the federal government.

These proposals would result in significant cuts in Washington. The House proposal calls for $2 billion in cuts over four years, and the Senate proposal calls for $3 billion. 

“President Trump and Republicans in Congress are threatening our health care in order to give tax breaks to billionaires,” Governor Ferguson said. “If Congress fails to do the right thing and abandon this harmful proposal, our social safety net in Washington will be gutted. These Medicaid cuts would be catastrophic to our state’s health care system and the 2 million Washingtonians who depend on it.” 

Britton Winterrose joined Governor Ferguson and other speakers at Thursday’s event. Winterrose is the father of a 5-year-old girl named Leda, who was born with a rare form of congenital central sleep apnea. Leda requires oxygen to sleep. Without it, she stops breathing in her sleep.

“Without Medicaid, my daughter’s next nap could be her last,” Winterrose said. “The only reason we can sleep at all is because Medicaid has provided the durable medical equipment and supplies needed to support her.”

Children will be particularly impacted by the proposed Medicaid cuts. Statewide, 800,000 children rely on Medicaid for their health care coverage. In at least two-thirds of Washington’s 39 counties, more than half of all children are covered by Medicaid. In Central Washington, 70 percent of all children are enrolled in Medicaid. In some counties, that number is even greater. For example, approximately 80 percent of kids in Yakima County and approximately 90 percent of kids in Adams County are on Medicaid.

Moreover, 70 percent of all births in rural Washington are covered by the program. Medicaid enrollees account for nearly half — 45 percent — of all births statewide.

Other vulnerable populations will also be significantly impacted. More than 105,000 Washingtonians depend on Medicaid for long-term care, and the program covers 3 in 5 nursing home residents and 3 in 8 people with disabilities. Medicaid is also the largest payer for opioid use disorder treatment in the state.

These proposed cuts to Medicaid will not only impact enrollees in the program. The budget under consideration in the U.S. Senate would decimate federal funding for Medicaid over the next five years — fundamentally altering the state’s health care system and how Washington administers Apple Health. This administrative burden is expected to cost the state tens of millions of dollars, at a time when the state faces significant budget challenges.