By Bill Lucia | Editor
New data shows Washington’s rural counties saw the state’s sharpest declines in insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act since federal subsidies expired and prices climbed. About 250,000 people in the state enrolled this year in plans through the Washington Health Benefit Exchange, down about 36,500 from last year.
Also in today’s edition…
The final two victims are recovered at the site of the Longview mill disaster.
A bipartisan push in Congress to set new college sports guidelines.
And, the fallout from withheld federal funding for domestic violence services.
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By Jake Goldstein-Street
The 13% drop in Affordable Care Act coverage in Washington is the largest since the state’s insurance marketplace launched in 2013. This health coverage is used by people not covered through their jobs or government programs like Medicaid or Medicare.
Rural counties saw some of the biggest declines. Over 1,100 Yakima County residents went without the insurance, a nearly 18% fall between March 2025 and this March. Garfield, San Juan, Franklin, Pacific, Wahkiakum and Asotin counties all saw drops exceeding 20%. Because the populations of these counties are relatively small, a few dozen people no longer covered could result in a sizable percentage decrease.
“Folks in rural areas are hit by this double whammy,” said Emily Brice, co-executive director at Northwest Health Law Advocates. “They have the soaring prices on one end and then access challenges on the other end, because providers are increasingly less available, more consolidated in rural areas.”
Bigger counties like King, Pierce, Clark, Whatcom, Snohomish and Spokane also saw declines.
A view of the Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility on May 27. (Photo courtesy of Department of Ecology)
By Aspen Ford
The two remaining victims who went missing after a chemical tank implosion in Longview, Washington, last week were recovered over the weekend, raising the confirmed death toll to 11. “I hope today will give the families so affected by this incident the closure needed to begin the long process of healing,” said Longview Fire Chief Brad Hannig during a press conference on Saturday.
By Shauneen Miranda
U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., unveiled a bill last week with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, that aims to tackle a range of issues in college sports. The bill includes new federal guidelines that would supplant a patchwork of state laws on how students can be compensated for their “name, image, and likeness.” It would largely limit athletes to one unrestricted transfer, requiring them to sit out a year if they transfer a second time. And it would set a five-year window for athletes to play, beginning at age 19. The legislation would also block football coaches from leaving mid-season for other teams.
By Jasmine Mithani and Mariel Padilla, The 19th
The Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women has been withholding $150 million in taxpayer funding meant to help survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and trafficking. It’s leading to layoffs, fewer services for survivors, and difficulties for the workers who help them. Our Sisters’ House in Pierce County, Washington, is one of the organizations affected. It recently cut back hours, meaning a hotline for domestic violence victims is no longer staffed 24 hours a day. The group is waiting for funding that should have been distributed by October.
ICYMI
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