OLYMPIA, Wash. – – Washington residents continue to face soaring health insurance costs and hundreds of thousands are at risk of losing life-saving coverage this year following changes to Medicaid. The Washington Legislature didn’t do enough to help that situation in its 2026 session and too many in the state will face tough financial choices this year when it comes to seeking the health care needed to live a happy, healthy life. Those who have to go without coverage will likely be forced to skip regular checkups and recommended cancer screenings, like mammograms.
The 2026 Washington Legislature missed the opportunity to solidify funding for the Breast, Cervical and Colon Health Program and Commercial Tobacco Prevention Programs, which also rely on the uncertain allocation of federal funds, leaving the state’s most vulnerable to pay the biggest price and face increased risk of cancer and other deadly diseases. Funding for the programs are crucial to the overall health of Washington residents and survival of too many, as more than 14,000 in the Evergreen State will die this year from cancer, with nearly 27% of those deaths directly related to tobacco use.
The following quote can be attributed in full or in part to Audrey Miller Garcia, Washington government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network:
“The 2026 Washington Legislature missed an important opportunity to keep our state strong in the face of these federal funding concerns. The Breast, Cervical and Colon Health Program and Commercial Tobacco Prevention Programs cannot be seen as luxury items anymore than fire extinguishers should be removed from homes as budget precaution. This is not political posturing. The harmful impact of inadequate funding for these programs is not a possibility but an inevitability.
Further erosion of these programs will continue to do serious damage to the health of Washington residents, a reality that needs to be understood fully by our state leaders. I ask legislators and Gov. Ferguson to take some time before the next session to meet with the people who will be most impacted by these cuts. Low-income and rural Washington residents will take the biggest hit. These programs matter to the long-term wellbeing of our people and the consequences might not show up right away, but long-term increased cancer diagnoses and preventable death will be the outcome. The final cost will be the health of our children and lives of our loved ones.”