Data show Medicaid cuts put 22 Washington hospitals at risk of closure
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New data show Washington state has one of the highest proportions of hospitals facing closure due to cuts to Medicaid under the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act."
The analysis from the nonprofit Public Citizen found 22 hospitals in Washington are at heightened risk of closure due to the cuts, mostly in rural areas.
Chris Majors, director of marketing and public relations for Harbor Regional Health in Aberdeen, said the hospital is already considering closing some services, including labor and delivery. He called the plans to cut Medicaid a tragedy.
"You can't let this bill play out the way that it is," Majors contended. "It has to get changed. It will kill people. That's the reality. There will be people who cannot get the services they need in time to save their lives if this continues. This isn't just about making money."
Majors said about 80% of the patients Grays Harbor Hospital serves rely on Medicaid and Medicare. Under the new law, Medicaid will be cut by $1 trillion over the next 10 years, leaving 10 million Americans without access to the program, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
Jeffrey Gustaveson, organizer for the nonprofit Firelands Workers United, said the Trump administration’s argument cuts to Medicaid will reduce waste and fraud is a distraction. He pointed out the funds from the cuts will go to the wealthiest people in the country.
"When families in Aberdeen and Pacific County have to drive more than an hour to go see the doctor when their kid's having an asthma attack, it's because a bunch of billionaires got themselves a tax break," Gustaveson asserted.
Gustaveson acknowledged Washington has made some important steps to protect residents from the cuts, including the Millionaire’s Tax but argued state leaders need to do more.
"There is plenty of wealth in Washington state that could help keep these hospitals open," Gustaveson stressed. "But we have to choose to unlock that wealth and make the ultrawealthy pay their fair share."
