Rural Hospitals are critical for public health and thriving local economies.
Rural Hospitals provide:
emergency, primary and long-term care,
jobs for the local community
support for other local businesses
Without nearby care, seniors, veterans, and children go without.
Access to care should not depend on where you live.
Rural hospitals address community-wide issues and support underserved populations.
Rural patients should not have to face long travel times for treatment.
1 in 5 Medicaid recipients in Washington State are projected to lose their coverage.
Impact of Medicaid Cuts
Called AppleCare in Washington State
Disrupted access to care leads to a decline in an individual's behavioral and medical health.
Without consistent access to nearby care, vulnerable populations—including seniors, veterans, and children—are disproportionately affected and go without essential services.
This decline often results in a rise in expensive and preventable emergency room visits and hospitalizations.
Affordable Care Act Changes
Also called Obamacare
27%
of farmers and ranchers rely on the ACA for affordable healthcare
Risk Loss of Coverage:
You must annually update your personal information.
You must manually reenroll every year during. (no longer automatic)
period of enrollment ends December 15 (1 month shorter)
Costs will Double (average)
Other Insurance Price Hikes
2026, WA approved a rate increase for the exchange health insurance market
Drivers of Rising costs
High cost of specialty drugs and new technologies
More chronic disease due to an aging population
Hospital stays and services cost more due to labor costs
Tax credits that made coverage more affordable are set to expire at the end of 2025
Cuts pose a significant threat to the rural communities.
Rural hospitals are often the largest employers in their counties and are vital to their local economies.
Medicaid cuts can force these essential institutions to close, reduce staff, or limit services.
The loss of medical jobs creates a domino effect, leading to a decline in other local services and businesses, from grocery stores to banks.
