Gov. Bob Ferguson targets H.R. 1 fallout for Apple Health Medicaid in executive order

SEATTLE — Gov. Bob Ferguson signed an executive order Thursday aimed at reducing the effects of H.R. 1, a federal law he said cuts health care and food assistance and will require Washington to make major changes to its Apple Health Medicaid program.

Washington is required to implement the law and has already spent nearly $100 million doing so, according to the governor’s office. Replacing all of the cuts would cost an estimated $3.2 billion per two-year budget cycle.

Beginning Oct. 1, the law will restrict Medicaid eligibility for lawfully present immigrants.

State outreach efforts have helped 3,000 immigrants retain Apple Health coverage, reducing the projected number set to lose coverage from 14,000 to 11,000, Ferguson said.

Starting Jan. 1, more than 600,000 Washington residents will face work requirements for the first time to maintain Apple Health coverage and will have to reapply twice as often, the governor’s office said.

Ferguson also highlighted an automated verification hub that state officials expect will help 400,000 people keep coverage by using existing data to confirm eligibility rather than requiring additional paperwork every six months.

Still, at least 200,000 people are projected to lose Apple Health coverage by the end of 2027 because of H.R. 1, according to the governor’s office.

The executive order creates the H.R. 1 Continuous Medicaid Response Committee, led by state health services agencies.

The committee will monitor effects on residents and the health care system, coordinate responses, and develop a proposal for a Healthcare Access and Affordability Council.

The order also calls for a statewide public awareness campaign, a Department of Health data system to track coverage losses and gaps, and work by the Department of Social and Health Services with philanthropic organizations and other partners to expand state capacity.

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