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WA Cares readies for May 18 launch after pilot shows quick processing but provider gaps remain
Summary
State officials told the LTSS Trust Commission that WA Cares will open statewide applications May 18 and begin paying benefits July 1; a small pilot showed fast eligibility processing but raised concerns about provider distribution and rural access.
Portia Everson, the meeting facilitator, opened the LTSS Trust Commission’s April 29 session with a program refresh and timeline for WA Cares’ public launch. Andrea Miva Sanchez, executive administrator for the WA Cares Fund at the Department of Social and Health Services, said the fund will begin accepting applications statewide on May 18, with benefit payments starting July 1.
Sanchez said WA Cares is a public long-term care insurance program funded by a payroll contribution of just over half a percent. “Once approved, the person receiving care gets to choose how they use their $36,500 benefit,” Sanchez said, adding that the lifetime benefit amount will grow with inflation and the program has no deductible or waiting period.
The Commission heard that eligibility is based on both contribution history and functional need. Sanchez outlined three pathways to benefits: a permanent pathway after at least 10 years of contributions; a…
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