The Department of Social and Health Services told the Joint Legislative Executive Committee on Planning for Aging and Disability Issues that the WA Cares Fund will begin full benefits next July and that the agency is piloting eligibility and payment systems ahead of the launch.

The WA Cares Fund is the state’s public long‑term care benefit. Ben Vechte, director of the WA Cares Fund at DSHS, told the committee the program began premium collection in 2023 and “Workers pay 0.58% of their wages.” He said individuals who become fully eligible can receive benefits “up to $36,500 to use towards long term services and supports of their choice.”

The program started as committee research and was enacted in 2019, Vechte said. He described later adjustments: a pathway for near‑retirees to earn partial benefits, portability rules to preserve benefits for workers who leave Washington, and a 2025 statutory change to allow people who previously opted out a chance to join until 2028. Vechte told the committee DSHS has received about 6,000 inquiries from Washingtonians interested in rescinding prior exemptions.

Why it matters: WA Cares establishes a state‑level baseline long‑term care benefit and, by creating a statutory framework for a supplemental private market, aims to let private insurers sell coverage that layers on top of the public benefit. Vechte compared the structure to Social Security and Medicare, saying the public program will act as a foundation and private plans will offer higher coverage for those who want it.

Supporting details: DSHS plans an IT pilot starting next January with up to 400 applicants; staff expect 150–200 of those to be found eligible and are contracting with local Area Agencies on Aging to recruit participants and test eligibility, provider payments and educational materials. Vechte said the 2025 law also created a framework for a private supplemental market that treats WA Cares as a deductible, letting private coverage be priced assuming the public benefit as a base.

Discussion vs. next steps: Vechte told the committee he expects “further tweaks over time” but said the program is largely “designed according to best practices” and is ready to go. Committee members asked whether additional legislative changes will be needed; Vechte said he did not anticipate major changes but expected ongoing feedback through the LTSS Trust Commission oversight process.

What the committee will see next: DSHS will run the pilot this winter and report back on eligibility determinations, materials and provider‑payment operations. The statute also allows people who bought private long‑term care insurance before November 2021 to retain grandfathered exemptions and lets some other narrow categories remain exempt.

Ending note: Committee members praised the program as an example other states watch closely, and DSHS reiterated that operational testing and stakeholder feedback will guide minor future adjustments.