Washington Community Action Network

Medicaid provides essential health care coverage for over 900,000 Washingtonians, offering a helping hand to Washington’s most vulnerable. Medicaid provides assistance to 534,000 children, nearly 121,000 people with disabilities, and nearly 70,000 elderly. Without Medicaid the lowest-income residents of our state would be at the mercy of inadequate coverage or, even worse, would risk joining the ranks of the 900,000 residents of our state who have no health coverage today.

Medicaid dollars do more than provide critical health care services for Washington’s most vulnerable. Medicaid funds also play a significant role in supporting our state’s health infrastructure and bolstering the state economy. A recent report estimates that for every $1 million the state spends on Medicaid, over $2 million in business activity is generated and 19 jobs are created. At the same time, the program is an excellent value, providing health care with lower administrative costs and with more constrained per capita growth than in the private market.

MEDICAID BUDGET CUTS WILL CAUSE HARM TO AMERICA’S LOW-INCOME SENIORS AND CHILDREN

Leaders of the Senate and House Budget Committees announced a federal budget agreement that includes approximately $10 billion in Medicaid cuts over five years beginning in 2007. To view the state-level impact of federal budget agreement on Medicaid click here.

Washington Citizen Action members mobilized to fight against cuts to Medicaid. Sue Stauffer delivers 1,560 postcards to Sen. Maria Cantwell and Sen. Patty Murray’s offices.

Washington CAN! has been working to protect healthcare for the lowest income and persons with disabilities since 1995 when WCA-organized “Emergency Campaign to Protect Medicare and Medicaid” mobilized thousands of people to prevent Congress from passing huge budget cuts to fund tax cuts for the wealthy and for big business. In 2001 WCA halted cuts to the Basic Health Plan and Medicaid and helped to publicize and fight the first attempts to cripple Medicaid through a waiver system. Since then we helped prevent implementation of all waiver applications – one by one they were rejected by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services each time because of a deluge of letters and phone calls to members of Congress urging them to intervene in the waiver process. During the 2004 legislative session WCA helped pressure Governor Locke to suspend state Medicaid co-payments which would take an estimated 30,000 children off the state Medicaid roles.

Medicaid Premiums Cost Too Much!

New Medicaid and CHIP Premiums will cost 24,000 kids their health care, and the state $60 million in business activity. Click here to read the report.

Medicaid: Someone You Know Needs It

Medicaid creates thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in Washington state. Supporting Medicaid is about more than health care - it's about strengthening our economy and our communities. Click on the county name to see the report (PDF) for King County, Pierce/Thurston Counties, Snohomish County, Spokane County.

Quick Facts

How does Medicaid work? Who gets coverage? This fact sheet (PDF) from the Kaiser Family Foundation give an overview of the Medicaid program and possible changes.
Medicaid at a Glance

DSHS Website

DSHS has a website dedicated to current news on the waiver, including notes from the Town Hall meetings held across the state, and the latest proposal for cutting Medicaid. Click here to go to it.

NoHLA Fact Sheet

Click here for a fact sheet (in PDF format) from the Northwest Health Law Advocates describing the problems with DSHS' current proposal.

WCA/NWFCO Report

Why the Legislature Needs to Ensure Access to Basic Health, Medicaid & CHIPState Charity Care.