Statement from WSNA on the government shutdown and attacks on health care

As the government shutdown continues, the Washington State Nurses Association calls on Congress and the president to come together to agree on a plan that protects access to health care for working families.

The refusal of the current Congressional majority to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies and to protect Medicaid funding has triggered a healthcare emergency across the nation. Millions of people will lose their health insurance and those who keep it will have to pay higher premiums. Many hospitals and clinics will cut services or close altogether.

In Washington state, this means an average premium increase of 21% for enrollees in our ACA Health Benefit Exchange (https://wahealthplanfinder.org.) The Exchange projects that 80,000 Washingtonians will drop their coverage if the ACA enhanced premium tax credits are not extended. As with the planned cuts to Medicaid, rural Washington will be disproportionately hurt. For example, in Central and Eastern Washington, enrollees’ premiums will go up 80 or 90 percent.

“We simply can’t afford to move backward on access to health care,” said WSNA President Justin Gill, DNP, RN, ARNP. “Medicaid expansion and ACA subsidies have made health insurance accessible and affordable for millions of Americans. Reversing that progress will explode the ranks of the uninsured and undermine the entire health care system.”

Regarding the federal government shutdown, WSNA Executive Director David Keepnews, PhD, JD, RN, FAAN, added: “This shutdown could have been avoided by Congress agreeing to protect access to care. And it can be resolved the same way.” He noted that most of Washington’s congressional delegation has supported proposals to reverse Medicaid cuts and continue ACA subsidies.

WSNA calls on the president and Congress to work across the aisle and find a solution that all Americans deserve — one that protects healthcare, lowers costs, and keeps the government open. We will continue to advocate for policies that protect patients, support nurses and healthcare professionals, and ensure that every Washingtonian can get the health care they need.