Congress’ proposal to cut Medicaid would devastate our healthcare system
The House proposal would have dire consequences for Washington residents and our healthcare delivery system.
June 16, 2025 • 3 minutes, 32 seconds to read
In the early hours of Thursday, May 22, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget reconciliation bill (HR 1) that would cut nearly $1 trillion in critical safety net programs, including $700 billion in Medicaid cuts. The bill passed by only one vote, 215-214, along party lines. On Monday, June 16, the GOP-led Senate Finance Committee released its proposal for President Donald Trump’s agenda bill that include even deeper cuts in Medicaid. Their goal is to pass the final bill with both chambers in agreement no later than the July 4th break.
The House proposal would have dire consequences for Washington residents and our healthcare delivery system. Our state currently spends about $21 billion a year on Apple Health (Washington’s Medicaid program), with $13 billion of that coming from the federal government. Medicaid has been a federal and state partnership since its inception in 1965.
Washington’s $6 billion rainy day fund would not be able to cover a loss of federal funding of this magnitude. With the state being lawfully required to balance its budget, state legislators will most certainly have to go back to Olympia to make massive cuts in a special session should this happen.
WSNA President, Justin Gill, and WSNA Chair of the Labor Executive Council, Edna Cortez, have joined Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell in press conferences condemning these potentially devastating cuts.
At a press conference on May 27, Cortez said: “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.”
Washington state legislators have written letters to Congress denouncing the proposed cuts. Proving that this is a nonpartisan issue, so did Washington state Republican lawmakers who submitted this letter to Congress condemning proposed cuts to this critical program.
Apple Health/Medicaid impacts
If passed, the proposed $700 billion in Medicaid cuts would result in more than 200,000 Washingtonians losing Apple Health coverage by the end of 2026. Another 600,000 Washingtonians would then face incredible hurdles to coverage, as they get lost in the red tape of certifying the work requirement eligibility outlined in this bill. In Georgia, where they have already instituted a work requirement, the red tape of maintaining coverage is illustrated in this ProPublica story about a Georgia man who has twice lost coverage due to bureaucratic snafus.
As millions of people become uninsured, hospitals will see their uncompensated care rise. Medicaid cuts could force some already struggling hospitals and nursing homes to cut services, lay off workers, or even close. This would have devastating impacts in rural areas and medically underserved areas, as explained in this summary from KFF.
SNAP impacts
HR 1 also proposes to cut nearly $300 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through 2034, the largest cut to SNAP in history. SNAP is the largest anti-hunger program in the United States and is extremely effective. Millions of people would lose some or all of the food assistance they need to afford groceries as more families are struggling with the high cost of food and other basic needs. In Washington, nearly 900,000 residents benefit from food stamps, with 34 percent of those being children.
Public health impacts
The proposal will have devastating impacts on public health. The program to eliminate childhood lead in drinking water is cut. The childhood asthma prevention program is cut. The program to protect children from toxins in water is cut.
Who pays for the tax cuts?
The spending cuts in this bill pay tax cuts that favor the wealthy, big businesses, and large corporations. The Washington State Budget & Policy Center reports that, “Under this bill, the average family earning less than $50,000 would get under $300 in tax cuts in 2027, less than $1 a day, while the average tax filer earning $1 million or more a year would receive about $90,000 in tax breaks.”
Washington state response
Washington state is sounding the alarm on the impact of this proposal. On May 22, Gov. Bob Ferguson held a press conference at Harborview Medical Center alongside Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, Harborview CEO Sommer Kleweno Walley, healthcare workers, and Medicaid patients.
The cuts won’t just affect Medicaid patients, Walley said.
“These cuts will disrupt the financial balance that supports the entire healthcare system, reducing resources and access to care for everyone no matter their insurance.”
Read the Governor’s press release or watch the press conference.
How can you get involved to fight these cuts?
As our two U.S. senators, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, work hard to fight these cuts in the Senate proposal due any day, we must support them in that effort. Share your stories. Share with others how devastating these cuts would be to you and the communities you serve. Share with others the real impact of these proposed cuts.
- If you live in the 4th Congressional District, email Representative Dan Newhouse to express your disappointment in his vote to strip healthcare from 22,000 central Washingtonians. Newhouse and Rep. Michael Baumgartner are the only two of Washington’s entire congressional delegation to vote for these cuts.
- Share your stories here.
- Stay tuned for action alerts to come out from WSNA’s Government Affairs team. If you have not received updates but would like to please click here and sign up today.