As Washington state grapples with a potential fiscal crisis by 2027, the Legislature this session allocated $150 million to fund a Medicaid-style program offering healthcare to illegal aliens.
It’s a spending discretion that one lawmaker is criticizing given that the state has chronically undercompensated medical providers of Medicaid patients, while a top ranking legislator argues expanded access to healthcare avoids overwhelming emergency services and facilities.
“We should be taking care of the people who are here legally,” Rep. Joe Schmick, R-Colfax, told The Center Square. “If we’re going to spend any more money in Medicaid, how come we don’t pay providers? If we’re going to invest more money, we should have paid the providers to take care of the people here.”
Created through various legislative appropriations in 2022 and 2023, the Apple Health Expansion program provides Medicaid-equivalent coverage for illegal aliens who are 19 and older and with incomes up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level. The program opened for participants on June 20, 2024, with a maximum allowance of 13,000 enrollees. That limit was met within 48 hours of the program launching, with 17,000 on the waiting list, according to the Health Care Authority.
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Author: Faith Novak
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