Through the Static

by Hannah Saunders

Medicaid coverage in Washington state will experience challenges in the coming months, with 11,000 immigrants expected to lose coverage on October 1. This is the result of Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which he signed over one year ago that slashed over $1.3 trillion in healthcare and food assistance benefits nationwide. To combat what will undoubtedly create life-threatening issues for Washingtonians set to lose coverage, Gov. Bob Ferguson announced an executive order on September 3.

“In the richest country in the world, Donald Trump is kicking the most vulnerable people off their health coverage,” Gov. Ferguson said. “The Big Bad Betrayal Bill is devastating to our health care system. But we are not powerless. I asked my team to find ways to blunt the impact of H.R. 1 on Washingtonians, and they delivered. Their work has preserved health care coverage for hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians. The work continues, and my executive order lays out our next steps.”

A total of 14,000 immigrants were expected to lose their Apple Health coverage on October 1, but that number has been reduced to 11,000 due to state outreach efforts with immigrant communities through healthcare navigators. The Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance, community partners, and providers have also been assisting with outreach, guiding some in updating their personal information or altering their immigration status so that they can continue to qualify for and receive benefits.

Beginning on January 1, 2027, over 600,000 Washingtonians will be forced to undergo work requirements for the very first time if they want to keep their Apple Health coverage; they will also be required to apply twice as often. But, to help about 400,000 more easily maintain their healthcare coverage, the state is working to implement an automated verification hub, according to the governor’s office. Still, 200,000 are expected to lose coverage by the end of 2027.

“Every additional form or documentation requirement creates another opportunity for someone to lose coverage, not because they are ineligible, but because the process is too difficult,” according to the Gov. Ferguson’s office. “This hub will bring together data that is already available to automatically confirm eligibility, so people don’t have to submit new paperwork every six months.”

Gov. Ferguson’s executive order will continue to build on this work while also creating the H.R.1 Continuous Medicaid Response Committee, which will be led by Washington’s health service agencies, among others. The Committee’s responsibilities include monitoring impacts the previously passed federal legislation has on Washingtonians and the healthcare system as a whole and coordinating responses to any future changes. It will also be tasked with drafting a proposal to establish the Healthcare Access and Affordability Council for short and long-term ideas for helping people keep healthcare coverage and control costs, and pointing out barriers, coverage disruptions, and opportunities for the state to step in and act.

Washington’s Office of the Governor stated that if the state were to financially cover all federal cuts made under Trump’s Bill, that it would cost an estimated $3.2 billion every two years.

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