About Us: Protecting Healthcare Access in King County
We are a dedicated group of advocates and students from the University of Washington participating in the 2026 Public Health Case Competition. Our mission is to safeguard the health and financial stability of our community’s most vulnerable residents in the face of shifting federal policies.
Our Focus
Our focus is on Non-Citizen Temporary Residents (NCTRs) within King County. This population includes:
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Refugees and asylees.
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International students with no intent to forsake their foreign residence.
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Victims of human trafficking or domestic violence.
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Cuban and Haitian entrants.
As King County houses over half of Washington’s entire non-citizen population, the local impact of H.R. 1 is devastating. We estimate that approximately 28,142 NCTRs in our county will lose Medicaid eligibility when these changes take effect on October 1, 2026.
Our Mission
We are driven by the urgent need to mitigate the impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), a federal law signed on July 4, 2025. This legislation targets Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, implementing strict new eligibility and documentation requirements that threaten to disenroll nearly 22% of Washingtonians who rely on these programs.
Our Solution
To prevent a crisis of uninsurance and medical debt, Team 11 proposes a comprehensive awareness and accessibility campaign for Cascade Care. Cascade Care is a state-run effort that offers affordable health plans to Washingtonians under 250% of the federal poverty line, regardless of their immigration status.
Our strategy includes:
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Community Partnerships: Working with schools, food banks, and shelters to reach low-income populations where they are.
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Multilingual Outreach: Overcoming language barriers by providing information in the languages most commonly spoken in King County.
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Direct Support: Partnering with Healthplan Navigators and social workers to provide personalized enrollment assistance.
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Hospital Collaboration: Aligning with healthcare providers to promote preventative care over expensive, emergency-based curative care.
Why It Matters
To prevent a crisis of uninsurance and medical debt, Team 11 proposes a comprehensive awareness and accessibility campaign for Cascade Care. Cascade Care is a state-run effort that offers affordable health plans to Washingtonians under 250% of the federal poverty line, regardless of their immigration status.
Our strategy includes:
-
Community Partnerships: Working with schools, food banks, and shelters to reach low-income populations where they are.
-
Multilingual Outreach: Overcoming language barriers by providing information in the languages most commonly spoken in King County.
-
Direct Support: Partnering with Healthplan Navigators and social workers to provide personalized enrollment assistance.
-
Hospital Collaboration: Aligning with healthcare providers to promote preventative care over expensive, emergency-based curative care.