Congresswoman Schrier, Senator Cantwell Host Roundtable with Healthcare Leaders in Wenatchee area

WENATCHEE, WA – Yesterday,Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08) convened a roundtable discussion with Chelan County healthcare organization leaders and providers to discuss the impact that proposed Medicaid cuts would have on the community. 

In Washington State, approximately 1.5 million individuals are enrolled in Medicaid, also known as Apple Health. This number includes about 900,000 children. The House Republican budget has called for nearly a trillion dollars in cuts to essential programs, like Medicaid. These cuts would be devastating for all Washingtonians, especially those in rural communities. In this roundtable discussion, Congresswoman Schrier spoke directly with leaders and providers from North Central Washington healthcare organizations to hear their thoughts about the impacts of the proposed Medicaid cuts. The consensus was that dramatic cuts to Medicaid would have profound impacts on patient health, healthcare access, clinic survival, and the local economy.

“As a pediatrician, I have seen firsthand the benefits of access to regular, affordable medical care. That is why for the last 6 years, I’ve worked with colleagues in both parties to strengthen Medicaid,” said Congresswoman Kim Schrier. “Here in Washington’s Eighth District, I represent over 125,000 people on Apple Health who are at risk of losing their healthcare under Republican budget plans. If Republicans achieve their goal of cutting 880 billion dollars from Medicaid, we will be sicker, we will be poorer, we will leave our jobs to care for our parents, we will have longer wait times in the ER because that is where people go when they have nowhere else to go, our healthcare system will be pushed to the brink, and our rural hospitals will cut services or close. I’ll keep fighting to protect Medicaid and healthcare for our children, seniors, and most vulnerable.”

Cutting Medicaid, Senator Maria Cantwell said, "affects the programs, then affects the hospital, then it affects the workforce, then you end up with shortages, then you end up with deserts. Then you end up with, 'Who wants to have a business there?' It keeps cascading,” Sen. Cantwell said. "This is a crazy idea. This is not a sledgehammer -- this is like a ticking time bomb that's blowing up the foundation of the system. And we have to take your stories and go back [to D.C.] and convince these people that it's not even worth thinking about."