Governor Ferguson signs executive order to coordinate state response to federal HR 1 changes

Governor Ferguson signed an executive order at International Community Health Services directing state agencies to coordinate a statewide response to federal HR 1 changes that will affect Apple Health, Washington’s Medicaid program. The order establishes the "HR 1 continuous Medicaid response committee," directs a coordinated public awareness campaign and asks the Department of Health to build a data accountability system to track coverage losses and gaps.

In explaining the order, the governor said the committee will be led by health services agencies "in consultation with the office of the insurance commissioner, health benefit exchange, and other agencies" and will monitor impacts, coordinate responses and identify barriers to coverage. The executive order also directs DSHS to work with philanthropic partners to expand outreach capacity and asks state agencies to explore policy and budget options to mitigate harms. "My executive order directs the Department of Health to develop a data accountability system to track who is losing coverage and where there are gaps so we can take additional actions and understand the true impacts of HR 1 in our state," the governor said.

The governor signed the order in a ceremonial segment of the event, then opened the floor to questions from the press about funding and implementation. He cautioned that fully backfilling the federal cuts would be impossible given budget constraints but said the administration will seek targeted mitigation as revenue forecasts and budget discussions proceed.