Major changes to health care funding are under consideration at this moment in the U.S. Senate. We at WSHA would like to extend a sincere thank you to Representative Dan Newhouse for urging his Senate colleagues to protect Medicaid and our hospitals.  

Access to care is increasingly fragile, and Rep. Newhouse’s leadership sends a clear message: Washingtonians need a strong, stable health care system centered on patients.  

Medicaid, a core pillar of support for our hospital infrastructure, faces serious threats under the Senate’s tax bill. This legislation would cut Medicaid payments to hospitals by $5.2 billion over the next ten years.  This is a catastrophic threat to the safety net that serves seniors, children, people with disabilities and rural communities.  

Rep. Newhouse’s letter rightly rejects cuts to essential programs, unrealistic funding restrictions and weakening Medicaid. Our hospitals can’t absorb these losses without real harm to patients and communities. We appreciate his leadership on this issue.  

WSHA remains deeply committed to working with our congressional delegation to prevent damaging provisions while preserving access to care.  

Thank you, Rep. Newhouse, for standing with our hospitals. We must continue fighting together for a health care system that serves everyone with dignity and delivers the care that our neighbors, loved ones and communities rely on every day.  

Sincerely,  

Jacqueline Barton True 
WSHA Vice President, Advocacy and Rural Health 
Jacquelineb@wsha.org