Washington State: Over 400,000 Washingtonians will lose health insurance if #MAGAMurderBill passes

via the Washington Health Benefit Exchange:

More than 400,000 Washingtonians will lose health insurance if ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ passes

• Washington Health Benefit Exchange warns of looming rise in uninsured Washingtonians if Senate passes Reconciliation Bill

OLYMPIA, Wash. - The Congressional Reconciliation bill and loss of enhanced federal tax credits would result in 16 million Americans losing coverage, according to the Congressional Budget Office, with more than 400,000 predicted to lose coverage in Washington state.

“The reconciliation bill now headed to the Senate would make it much harder for Washingtonians to get and stay covered,” said Ingrid Ulrey, CEO of Washington Health Benefit Exchange. “While there has been much attention on the bill’s effects on Medicaid — which will be devastating — it is important to understand that it would also create a massive new layer of red tape and higher costs for people who purchase private health insurance on the Exchange.”

The reconciliation bill could shrink enrollment through the Exchange by a third to half. Exchange customers include people who work for small businesses and who are self-employed, early retirees and working families who do not have access to large employer-based plans.

Nationwide, an estimated one in seven Americans have depended on state-based marketplaces at some point during the 12 years since the Affordable Care Act was enacted. In Washington state today, nearly 300,000 Washingtonians purchase private health plans on the Exchange and 75% qualify for federal tax credits. Eastern Washington residents are particularly vulnerable — rural counties in Washington account for the highest per capita enrollment.

At a virtual press conference on Thursday, leaders from across the country detailed the effects on access to private health insurance from the Reconciliation bill passed last month by the House of Representatives. Combined with the looming expiration of federal enhanced premium tax credits at the end of the year, these changes would sharply increase the uninsured rate, damage health care delivery and increase costs in every community across America.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 8.2 million people nationwide will lose qualified health plan insurance, including coverage losses from expiring enhanced tax credits. Others would lose their coverage under Medicaid, and there are no other affordable options for those who most need help affording plans.

The Affordable Care Act established health insurance marketplaces, which allow hard-working people to purchase affordable health insurance plans that meet specific coverage standards. Twenty-two states operate marketplaces, either as fully state-run entities or in partnership with the federal marketplace. In Washington, Washington Healthplanfinder enables customers to view and shop for a variety of plans, all of which are required to cover essential health benefits.

View more resources including State Marketplace Network letters to Congress and detailed explainers about the Reconciliation bill from the State Marketplace Network Federal Resources.