Drafter
Clerk 05/21/2025
Title
A MOTION expressing King County council's opposition to proposed federal Medicaid cuts and affirming support for care workers, healthcare systems, and residents who rely on Apple Health.
Body
WHEREAS, Medicaid, known as Apple Health in Washington state, provides essential healthcare coverage to over 1.9 million Washingtonians, including more than 500,000 residents of King County who rely on it for primary, behavioral, and long-term care, and
WHEREAS, proposed federal budget reductions threaten to significantly decrease Medicaid funding, which could severely impact access to critical health services for low-income families, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and other vulnerable populations in King County, and
WHEREAS, cuts to Medicaid would have significant ripple effects across King County's healthcare infrastructure, including public, nonprofit, and for-profit hospital systems, potentially forcing care reductions, employee layoffs, and service closures, that would harm both patients and workers, and
WHEREAS, care workers, including home care aides, long-term care providers, nursing home staff, and hospital workers, are essential to the health and well-being of our residents, and their work is largely funded through Medicaid reimbursements, and
WHEREAS, these care workers are represented by several labor organizations, including SEIU 775, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, and the Washington Federation of State Employees, which advocate for the wages, benefits, and working conditions, of those on the frontlines of care, and
WHEREAS, King County is committed to advancing health equity, preserving healthcare access, and supporting the dignity and economic security of both care recipients and the diverse health workforce that serves them;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
A. The King County council formally opposes any federal actions that would reduce Medicaid funding and urges Congress to maintain or i...

Click here for full text