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About 11,000 Washington residents lost Medicaid coverage this month because of changes Congress approved last year, with many more expected to lose insurance in the coming months.

The big picture: State officials predict at least 200,000 more Washington residents will be kicked off Medicaid by the end of 2027 because of H.R. 1, which President Trump dubbed the "big, beautiful bill."

Zoom in: The estimated 11,000 people who lost coverage in Washington on Oct. 1 include immigrants who are legally in the U.S., but who are not permanent residents.

• Refugees, trafficking victims and people granted asylum are among those who no longer qualify for Medicaid under H.R. 1, according to the Washington State Health Care Authority.
• The law also imposes new work requirements that put more than 600,000 Washington residents at risk of losing coverage when that part of the bill takes effect in January, according to state estimates.

What they're saying: Many of those people will have "no choice but to turn to emergency departments for care, leading to longer wait times for everyone," Ryan Moran, director of the Washington State Health Care Authority, said in a written statement to Axios.

The other side: The Trump administration has defended the new Medicaid requirements.

• The narrower immigrant eligibility rules are intended in part to "safeguard taxpayer dollars," Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said in a news release this year.
• Oz also said the work requirements will help Americans build "skills and independence through work, education, job training or community service."

State of play: State officials say they're working to help as many as 400,000 Washington residents keep Medicaid coverage once the new work requirements take effect next year.

• The state is building an automated verification system, which will use existing state data to determine whether recipients meet the requirements or qualify for an exemption.
• That will reduce the need for people to submit paperwork every six months to prove they're working, volunteering or participating in another qualifying activity.

What's next: The state expects Medicaid coverage changes to unfold gradually through 2027 as people renew their coverage and the new requirements are applied.

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Can't swing a European vacation this fall? Two Washington towns apparently offer the next best thing.

The big picture: Leavenworth and Poulsbo ranked third and fifth, respectively, among the best small U.S. destinations for a European-style fall getaway, according to a new analysis from house- and pet-sitting platform TrustedHousesitters.

How it works: The company scored 16 European-inspired U.S. destinations on walkability, fall foliage, cultural attractions, autumn events and the number of nearby cafés and bakeries.

• Leavenworth, Washington's Bavarian-inspired mountain town, scored 77 out of 100, behind only St. Augustine, Florida, and Holland, Michigan.
• Poulsbo — aka "Little Norway" — scored 72.2, boosted by its walkable waterfront downtown, Scandinavian heritage and relatively leafy surroundings.

Zoom out: California was the only other state to land two destinations in the top 10, with Solvang at No. 4 and Healdsburg at No. 6.

The bottom line: Your European fall getaway could be just a ferry ride or a drive over the Cascades away.

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🌫️ Stubborn morning fog is forecast to last through the work week, with a Pacific weather system expected to clear the inversion and bring rain late Friday. (KIRO 7)

🏢 A 41-story downtown Seattle office tower sold for $48.3 million — less than one-sixth of the $304.5 million it fetched in 2019. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

🏟️ The Mariners drew nearly 2.9 million fans to T-Mobile Park this season — their highest attendance since 2004 — despite a disappointing performance on the field. (Seattle P-I)

The Department of Justice says a 30-year-old Bellingham man was arrested on a conspiracy-to-murder charge connected to the Feb. 10 Tumbler Ridge Secondary School shooting in British Columbia. (KING 5)

🐺 State wildlife officials authorized killing an unspecified number of wolves from a southeastern pack after at least seven livestock attacks in 10 months. (Washington State Standard)

We're back with a new guessing game: Where in Seattle did we snap this photo?

Think you know the answer? Email us or hit reply to submit your guess!

• We'll try to list everyone who got it right in an upcoming newsletter, so you can prove your Seattle cred.

🍿 Melissa was pleasantly surprised by the movie "Forgotten Island."

📚 Clarridge is on the hunt for a great read.

This newsletter was edited by Geoff Ziezulewicz.