The U.S. Senate passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act July 1. The legislation would be devastating to hospitals.

“The One Big Beautiful Bill Act as passed by the Senate today is a disaster for Washington state’s hospitals and the patients we serve. There is no way we can absorb this level of cuts in the Medicaid program without massive impacts to all Washingtonians’ access to care,” Washington State Hospital Association President and CEO Cassie Sauer said.

“The biggest risks: Hundreds of thousands of people will lose health insurance, and payments to hospitals for providing services to Medicaid enrollees will be slashed. These provisions jeopardize the health care system for everyone. Important hospital services will disappear, nurses and doctors will be laid off, and several Washington State hospitals are at risk of full closure.

“We applaud our two senators for their staunch opposition to the bill. We are frustrated that Senators from Idaho, Montana, Alaska and Wyoming, who rely on Washington’s specialty care, voted for the bill. We urge our own House delegation and House members from surrounding states whose residents count on our health care system to reject the bill and preserve access to vital health care services.

“Impacts will be severe for both rural and urban hospitals. To address concerns about rural hospital impacts, the Senate added a ‘rural health transformation fund’ and claims this will protect rural hospitals from the cuts in the bill. The rural fund is wholly inadequate: It adds bureaucracy and administrative hurdles to accessing funds and does not even come close to making up for payment cuts. Offering this as a solution is like punching someone in the face and then offering them a Bandaid.”

About the Washington State Hospital Association

The Washington State Hospital Association advocates for and provides value to members in achieving their missions and improving the health of their communities. WSHA represents more than 100 hospitals and health systems in the state, including those that are non-profit, investor-owned, and county, state and military hospitals. Visit www.wsha.org for more information.

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These provisions jeopardize the health care system for everyone. Important hospital services will disappear, nurses and doctors will be laid off, and several Washington State hospitals are at risk of full closure.