THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2023
Contact: press@wecareforwacares.org
Media Resources
3 Million Washington Workers Start Building Long Term Care Benefits on July 1st
WA Cares, First in the Nation Support for Working Families Facing Care Crisis
Washington State – At a news briefing today, disease, health, worker, and consumer organizations representing 1.5 million Washingtonians celebrated the launch of the WA Cares Fund, a first-in-the-nation public long term care benefit for workers. In July, more than 3 million workers in Washington will begin building their new long term care benefits. A recording of the briefing can be found here.
Workers can start using their benefits in just 36 months if they need immediate care due to a debilitating accident or illness.
We Care for WA Cares, a coalition of health, consumer and worker organizations including AARP, MS Society, Lupus Foundation, SEIU 775, Washington Association of Area Agencies on Aging, Casa Latina, Physicians for Social Responsibility and others today released a report on who will benefit under WA Cares including:
- 3,000,000 workers who stayed in WA Cares and did not opt out
- 630,000 near-retirees who can now build benefits thanks to changes to the law
- 870,000 part-time workers who are eligible by working just 10 hours/week on average
- 860,000 unpaid caregivers who provide assistance to loved ones; and
- 1,800,000 BIPOC Washingtonians who are less likely to have access to savings mechanisms or assets to pay for long term care.
“In 36 months, if workers experience a debilitating event that leaves them needing help with tasks like managing medication, making meals, bathing and dressing, they can tap into their WA Cares benefits to pay for a home care aide, home modifications like ramps, grab bars, walk-in shower or medical equipment like a hospital bed or wheelchair,” said Jessica Gomez, campaign manager for the We Care for WA Cares coalition.
Ben Veghte, director of the WA Cares Fund, said,
“Washington is the first state in the nation to address the long term care gap that is putting more and more families into a state of crisis. Families who previously would have been left with no choice but to fill the gap by paying out of pocket with their own savings or providing many hours of unpaid care will now be able to access support. WA Cares will help those who need care stay in their own homes longer when they need support to live independently due to dementia, serious injury or a disability.”
Washington State Representative Nicole Macri (LD 43), a champion of the WA Cares program, said
“We know how important it is to make WA Cares available to Washington workers who move out of state. We’re encouraged to see other states follow our lead and we’re confident WA Cares portability will be available when workers need it.”
AARP of Washington Director Marguerite Ro said,
“A recent AARP study showed that in 2021, there were over 820,000 family caregivers in Washington who provided 770 million hours of care. They’re an important part of helping people age in their own homes and communities – where they want to be. For many, it’s a labor of love, but it can also be a difficult task. According to another 2022 AARP report, two-thirds (67%) of Washington caregivers ages 45+ feel stressed emotionally due to their caregiving responsibilities. The WA Cares program will help families shoulder the cost of long-term care and support the thousands of individuals who count on family caregivers for assistance.”
Advocates for the program say the WA Cares Fund is designed to help bridge the gap when people face the need for help, but can’t access or afford support with daily living tasks. They point to data that show 70% of people will need help with meals, moving around, or using the bathroom at some point in their lives (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
Christina Keys of Vancouver said,
“I always tell people, you are either going to end up being a caregiver, or you’ll be the one needing help yourself someday. There are an estimated 820,000 unpaid family caregivers in WA. Women are more likely to be the ones to quit their job to care for family members, depleting our savings and income potential, and taking valuable members out of the workforce. WA Cares would have been a lifeline for me when my mom had a life changing stroke at the age of 63 and our lives were turned upside down. That $36,500 would have paid for equipment, home modifications, and respite care to give me time to find additional resources to help me care for mom.”
Robin Von Davis, a medical student and member of Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, said,
“The burden of elder care and end of life care often falls on the families of those afflicted, but long-term care isn’t limited to the senior population. The fact is 40% of people who need assistance with daily living activities are under age 65. Pregnancy complications, a serious illness, sports or work-related injury, accident, or chronic health conditions can severely limit a person’s ability to care for themselves,”. Von Davis added, “Over half of non-elderly adults have a pre-existing condition like cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, making it more likely they will need long term care.” and mentioned that, “Providing people with access to resources to help pay for home care, home modifications, and medical equipment is essential to improving health equity.”
Health insurance, disability insurance, workers comp, and Medicare do not cover home care or nursing home stays. And Medicaid requires people to completely drain their savings and assets – down to $2,000 or less – to become eligible for home care or nursing home stays. 90% of Americans do not have private long term care insurance policies.
Andy Nicholas, senior fellow with the Washington State Budget and Policy Center said,
“The reality is most working families simply do not have the ability to set aside funds to spend on care they will likely need. The median American savings is less than $5,300. And private long term care insurance on the marketplace is expensive and inaccessible to too many. Long term care insurance companies are notorious for denying policies for people with pre-existing conditions, wildly raising premiums, charging women more than men, denying claims and canceling policies. Premiums are $2-$3,000 a year or more, rise with age, and continue after retirement. The vast majority of working families are between a rock and a hard place when the time comes for care. WA Cares is going to be a gamechanger for millions of Washingtonians.”
Program supporters point out that WA Cares provides workers with a big return on investment. A worker earning the median income in Wasington of $74,398 would contribute $35.95 per month ($431.50/year) to earn a benefit of $36,500. Eligibility for qualifying events begins in 2026. That benefit amount will grow with inflation.
Worker Contributions and Benefits
Washington Median Income of $74,398 in 2023
| 2026 | 2033 | 2043 | 2053 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Contribution | $1,304 | $4,315 | $8,630 | $12,945 |
| WA Cares Benefits* | $36,500** | $46,723 | $59,809 | $76,561 |
**Available to workers who need immediate care due to a debilitating injury or illness.
When someone needs help with tasks like managing medication, making meals, bathing and dressing, they can tap into WA Cares benefits first before relying on savings to pay for:
- More than 1,000 hours of help from a home care aide, or a family member
- Home modifications like ramps, grab bars, or walk-in shower
- Medical equipment like wheelchairs, electric lifting seats, and other essential equipment not covered by Medicare or health insurance.
According to federal data:
- More people get long-term care at home than in facilities.
- Of those who need long term care, most use it for about 2 years.
- Only 20% of people require long term care services for more than 5 years.
- The majority of people who get care in a long term care facility use it for less than one year.
More facts about WA Cares here.
For questions, contact: press@wecareforwacares.org
# # #