FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 3, 2026
Contact: Melissa Warner, (206) 240-7629
SEATTLE, WA – Consumer advocacy and health organizations are sounding the alarm about the Washington House budget proposal that would remove physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy coverage from all adults enrolled in Apple Health (Medicaid). If passed, roughly 1 million Washingtonians would lose access to these evidence-based, medically necessary services.
With the state legislative session slated to end March 12, and final budget decisions hanging in the balance, this proposal by the House could still become reality. That’s why Northwest Health Law Advocates (NoHLA), the Washington Occupational Therapy Association (WOTA), the Washington Speech-Language-Hearing Association (WSLHA), the Washington Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association, The Arc of Washington State, and AARP Washington are calling for action. More than 160 local organizations and care providers recently joined their letter urging legislators to ensure there are no cuts to physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy in the state’s final budget.
Occupational therapist Mikayla Wooley fears how the proposed change to Apple Health (Medicaid) would impact her clients at Empower Tomorrow Therapy Services in Puyallup, WA.
Many thank the clinic for positive changes in their lives. “One client with autism was struggling with depression and unable to get out of bed some days. Then she came to therapy and got the support she needed. Her progress led to landing a job,” Wooley shares. “I’m grateful for her success and that she can switch from Apple Health (Medicaid) to an employer-sponsored health plan. I worry for everyone at risk of losing access to care. It can be a lifeline.”
The proposed policy change would impact people who already face health disparities and affordability burdens. Washingtonians who qualify for Apple Health (Medicaid) have low incomes or need help with activities of daily living due to age or disability. In a 2025 survey of Washington residents, 79% of responding households that had at least one resident with a disability reported delaying or skipping care due to cost in the previous year. If unable to pay, people will not get the care they need.
“The real cost is human,” says Cathy Murahashi, Public Policy Specialist for The Arc of Washington State. She has seen how powerful therapies can be for people with disabilities, including her son David, who survived a serious brain bleed. “These services are not ‘extras.’ My son had to relearn how to walk, talk, eat, read, and care for himself. This would not have been possible without intensive therapies. They gave him back his life.”
The legislature faces challenges given a tight budget, but “This cut shouldn’t be on the table,” notes Emily Brice, co-executive director at Northwest Health Law Advocates. “Cutting therapies from Apple Health (Medicaid) would harm many, cost more in the long run, and help no one.”
In fact, Brice notes, the proposed cuts would cause Washington to lose federal match funding of more than $33 million while saving the state General Fund only around $8 million. The changes are also likely to increase strain on other, more expensive parts of the health care system. Therapies help prevent unnecessary hospital admissions and surgery failures, and they often make it possible for people to age and recover from illness or injury at home. The alternatives are costlier services in hospitals and nursing facilities.
In addition to the human costs that would result from these cuts, advocates point to federal Medicaid law that requires these therapies for certain settings and populations. "These proposed cuts may not even be legal," says Vanessa R. Saavedra, senior attorney at Northwest Health Law Advocates. "If the Legislature goes through with this, there will be questions about how it complies with federal law."
Murahashi hopes that someday the law will require therapies for more people; not fewer. “We are grateful our son David had the opportunity,” she reflects. “I cannot imagine the despair and hopelessness of being denied the chance to recover.” At the end of the day, eliminating therapy services will not eliminate therapy needs. It will just push care to higher cost settings, like emergency rooms, hospitals, and long-term care. And it will drastically increase the human costs, like impacts to independence and health outcomes for people like David. Washington can’t afford to let that happen.
Northwest Health Law Advocates (NoHLA) is a public interest law nonprofit that has worked alongside the Legislature for over 25 years to advance health care for all Washingtonians.
The Washington Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), Washington Occupational Therapy Association (WOTA), and Washington Speech-Language-Hearing Association (WSLHA) are professional membership associations for practitioners of their respective health care fields in the state.
The Arc of Washington State is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that has supported the rights and full participation of all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities since 1936.
AARP Washington is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that addresses the needs of older Washingtonians, empowers them to choose how they live as they age, and helps families thrive.