Governor Ferguson to Cover Planned Parenthood Funding Gap

Governor Bob Ferguson has announced that Washington state will step in to bridge the gap created by the federal government’s recent decision to block Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood for one year. This comes after President Trump signed the controversial “Big Beautiful Bill” on July 4, which immediately halted federal Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood—even though these funds cannot be used for abortion services, only essential care like cancer screenings and preventive treatments .

Planned Parenthood relies on at least $22 million annually from Medicaid in Washington, with about half coming from federal funds. As one of the leading Medicaid providers in the state, the organization plays a vital role in maintaining community health .

Ferguson underscored that if Planned Parenthood’s legal challenge doesn’t overturn the federal cutoff, Washington will allocate state funds to ensure uninterrupted access to critical health services. He called the move “a blatantly political, cruel attack on reproductive rights” and said it threatens the wellbeing of thousands of Washingtonians. Despite budget constraints, he insisted the state will act to keep these services running .

The federal bill also introduces sweeping Medicaid cuts nationwide—slashing $1 trillion over a decade, including $3 billion annually from Washington—and potentially pushing 250,000 residents off Medicaid coverage. Hospitals could lose up to $1.5 billion by 2031 .

Governance-wise, roughly 25 % of Washington’s population depends on Medicaid, with more than half of children in 26 out of 39 counties relying on it. Additionally, Washington’s congressional representation—Reps. Dan Newhouse and Michael Baumgartner—voted in favor of the legislation, which will disproportionately affect their constituents in Central and Eastern Washington, where about 500,000 people are covered by Medicaid .

The same bill also reduces SNAP benefits, affecting close to 1 million Washingtonians and potentially cutting off aid for more than 130,000 people .