Reprinted with permission from The Dignity Virus.

By Alex Garland

SEATTLE—Washington’s healthcare safety net is under threat as federal lawmakers consider drastic Medicaid cuts that could leave hundreds of thousands without coverage and force hospitals to slash critical services. At a press conference on May 22 at Harborview Medical Center, state officials, healthcare workers, and families who rely on Medicaid shared stark warnings about the potential fallout.

Harborview, the region’s only Level I trauma center for adults and children, serves patients from across the Pacific Northwest, many of whom depend on Medicaid. CEO Sommer Kleweno Walley didn’t mince words:

“Cuts under serious consideration by Congress could now result in an annual loss for Harborview alone of hundreds of millions of dollars. It’s impossible to overstate the crisis that cuts of this magnitude would mean for Harborview and this state’s entire safety net.”

Governor Bob Ferguson laid out the numbers: Washington could lose $2 billion in federal Medicaid support over the next four years, leaving an estimated 200,000 residents uninsured by next year. Rural hospitals, already struggling, would be hit hardest. 

“There is no doubt that hospitals will close in Washington state, in rural and urban parts of our state. Nursing homes will close if this is approved by the United States Senate” Ferguson said. “Our state will change in fundamental ways if this goes through.”

Voices from the front lines

Jen Chong Jewell brought her son Gabriel, who relies on Medicaid for surgeries, therapies, and medical equipment. 

“Medicaid allows my son and so many other children and youth to live, be supported, and thrive in their communities,” she said. “We are more than a number or some data point, we are the expert on our own lives.”

Sam Conley, a nurse at Harborview for over a decade, described the real-world consequences of underfunded care. 

“I’ve already seen the consequences when patients can’t afford their care,” Conley said.

“Diabetics who skip insulin wind up with thousands of dollars in emergency medical bills…Losing health coverage doesn’t make chronic health and illnesses disappear, it just forces people to go without treatment. Patients get sicker more often and stay in the hospital longer.”

A political fight ahead

The proposed cuts, tied to broader federal budget negotiations, have drawn fierce backlash. Ferguson accused Congress of prioritizing tax breaks for the wealthy over healthcare for vulnerable Americans. 

“Last night Congress took an action that only be described as cruel and one that would harm many thousands of Washingtonians if approved by the Senate,” he said. “We’re going to do everything we can to persuade the Senate to walk back from the brink of an action that would have truly dire consequences for many thousands of Washingtonians.”

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell pledged solidarity, emphasizing Medicaid’s role in the city.

“This is 73% of the funding for the Seattle Indian Health board, as an example. We anticipate that Medicaid cuts will affect 450,000 patients in King County,” Harrell said.

What happens next?

If the cuts pass, Harborview and other safety-net hospitals may be forced to eliminate services or even close departments.

Walley warned, “Harborview board of trustees, and our King county elected officials will have to have some incredibly difficult conversations about what part of Harborview can stay open and what parts we have to rethink.”

For now, advocates are urging the public to contact lawmakers and share personal stories. As nurse Conely put it: “Cutting Medicaid doesn’t reduce the need for healthcare, it just shifts the cost…In the end, taxpayers bear a larger burden and people face negative outcomes that could have been prevented.”

TtS July update: On July 4, Trump signed the Big Bad (“Beautiful”) Bill into law, and the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Medicaid will lose $1.02 trillion in federal funding— and Washington is expected to be one of the hardest-hit states.

A July 3 press release from Governor Ferguson’s office called out Congressmen Dan Newhouse (R – 4) and Michael Baumgartner (R – 5) for voting in favor of the harmful legislation, which is the largest cut to Medicaid since its 1965 inception.

About two million, or one in five, Washingtonians are Medicaid recipients, and each year the state spends $21 billion on Medicaid, with $13 billion coming from the federal government.

“It’s impossible to overstate just how devastating this legislation will be for Washingtonians… This morally bankrupt decision will cause our most vulnerable Washingtonians to lose their health care coverage and likely force hospital closures across the state, all to pay for tax breaks for the richest Americans.”
– Gov. Ferguson

Washington was a leader in the nation with last year’s uninsured rate at 4.8 percent. These Medicaid cuts are to be implemented in the next five years, and at least 250,000 Washingtonians will lose their coverage, while thousands can expect to be priced out of the health care benefit exchange.

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