Cuts to Medicaid Supported by Congressional Republicans Would Have a Devastating Impact on Health Care Access for Residents in Eastern Washington - Families USA Skip to Main Content
04.24.2025 / Press Release

Cuts to Medicaid Supported by Congressional Republicans Would Have a Devastating Impact on Health Care Access for Residents in Eastern Washington

New Fact Sheets from Families USA Highlights Importance of Medicaid for WA-05’s Families

SPOKANE, WA – A new fact sheet from Families USA details the impacts of deep cuts to the Medicaid program in the Republican budget that Rep. Baumgartner voted for, which would have devastating consequences for the health and economic security of Eastern Washington. Washington’s Medicaid program, Apple Health, provides health care coverage for more than 230,000 residents, according to the fact sheet.

“Americans have been showing up in townhalls, calling their representatives in Congress and demanding that Republicans in Washington stop their plan to massively cut the health care that Americans want and need,” said Anthony Wright, executive director of Families USA. “Deep cuts to Medicaid would be devastating for Washington residents, resulting in significant coverage losses, forcing rural hospitals, long-term care facilities or community clinics to close or scale back services, and throwing state budgets into crisis. We should all be asking every member of Congress who voted for this budget why they are willing to harm working families in their own district just to pay for a tax break for billionaires.”

Medicaid is a lifeline for Eastern Washington:

  • 230,100 residents — 29% of all residents in WA-05.
  • 87,800 children — 54% of all children living in WA-05.
  • 41,400 seniors and people with disabilities have Medicaid coverage.

Families in Washington already struggle to pay for health care:

  • 81% of people living in Washington are worried about affording health care.
  • 39% of people living in Washington struggled to pay medical bills.
  • 56% of people living in Washington skipped needed care due to cost.

Families USA, the longtime health consumer advocate, is organizing with groups in Washington and across the nation to protect Medicaid from severe cuts, caps or other regulations that will result in millions of Americans losing access to the health care they need. Earlier this year, Families USA led hundreds of organizations to call on Congress and the Trump administration to reject cuts to Medicaid and work to make health care more affordable, not less.

For additional resources, see Families USA’s fact sheets on how work reporting requirements would undermine access to Medicaid, how cuts harm families and communities, and the overall importance of Medicaid to people, the economy and the health care system.

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