Union, advocates tell King County council Valley Medical Center is restricting Medicaid appointments; hospital cites steep losses and restructuring

Community advocates, union representatives and clinicians told the King County committee that Valley Medical Center has implemented scheduling practices and clinic closures that they say limit access for Medicaid patients and disproportionately harm Pacific Islander, immigrant and low‑income communities.

Lika Smith, executive director of the Pacific Islander Health Board, said several pregnant patients were removed from Valley’s OB practice and told their ZIP codes were outside the hospital’s service area; some then gave birth in the emergency department after being unable to resume prenatal care. "Denying care due to Medicaid coverage is unacceptable and places mothers and babies at serious risk," she told the committee.

Amira Zada, a union representative for OPEIU Local 8 speaking on behalf of patient access staff, said scheduling tools and scripts used by staff have made it nearly impossible for Medicaid patients to self‑schedule or secure timely new‑patient appointments. Zada recounted a staff member who had to tell a chemotherapy patient that her treatment slot was canceled and that the earliest available appointment was months later.

Emily Bryce of Northwest Health Law Advocates characterized the pattern of appointment blocks and scheduling limits as an "invisible harm" that appeared to ramp up in late spring 2025 and has continued. She said legal protections are clearer for inpatient discrimination than for outpatient scheduling and urged the county to investigate whether gaps in state law allow the practice.

Valley Medical Center’s board president, Rick Polintan, and senior management described significant operating losses that they said forced clinic closures and staffing reductions. Management presented three years of operating losses — cited in their slides as approximately $26.4 million (FY23), $42.7 million (FY24) and $49.3 million (FY25) — and said uncompensated and charity care totaled roughly $267 million last year, an increase of 53% from the prior year. Management said they have closed clinics, downgraded a NICU level and reduced pediatric inpatient services as part of a restructuring whose net effect has been staffing and provider losses.

When asked whether Medicaid patients are being treated differently, Valley’s counsel said the hospital is balancing payer commitments and capacity constraints and that the institution is not intentionally treating Medicaid patients worse than insured patients. Councilmembers asked Valley to provide clear written policies on scheduling — specifically a "first‑in‑time" appointment policy that would remove payer status as a gating factor — and to describe interim patient referral options when clinics close. Valley said it is working with community FQHCs, the executive’s office and the council to produce more information.

The committee did not issue sanctions or adopt formal policy at the hearing but requested follow‑up materials. Councilmembers said access for Medicaid patients at a publicly funded hospital is a top priority and asked Valley to return with a written explanation of scheduling practices, data on appointment availability by payer and a proposed patient‑facing notice describing alternatives for displaced patients.