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Helping You Cover Your Tomorrows

The WA Cares Fund ensures all working Washingtonians can earn access to long-term care when they need it.

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7 in 10 of us will need long-term care

Most of us will need help to live independently at some point in our lives. For some, this will be temporary after an accident or illness. For others, the need will strike late in life. In both cases, this is known as long-term care. Learn more about what long-term care is and how to plan for it.

How WA Cares Can Help

WA Cares Fund gives you flexibility to choose whatever combination of covered services and supports best meets your care needs. Most people will choose benefits that enable them to remain in their own home. Learn more about benefit coverage.

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Address the need

7 in 10 Washingtonians will need care services and support as they age, but long-term care is not only for older people. Some of us will have accidents or illnesses that require care at some point in our lives.

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Support for families

Family caregivers who reduce hours or leave the workforce can lose income as well as health and retirement benefits. WA Cares gives families resources that can reduce the burden.

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Keep your savings

Before WA Cares, in order to pay for long-term care, people had to spend down their life savings to qualify for Medicaid.

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Peace of mind

By contributing a small amount from each paycheck while we're working, we can rest assured that long-term care benefits will be there to help us when we need them.

About the WA Cares Fund

 

WA Cares Fund is the result of years of research on how to make care accessible for all workers in Washington. As a public long-term care insurance program, WA Cares guarantees coverage for all workers regardless of pre-existing conditions. Washington is the first state in the nation to create an affordable way for the broad middle class to access long-term care without having to spend down their life savings. 

 

WA Cares Fund is managed by Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, in collaboration with Washington State Health Care Authority and the Employment Security Department.

 

Learn more about the history and structure of the WA Cares Fund.

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How the Fund Works

See details about how it works, including contributions, eligibility, and applying for benefits

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Automatically contribute
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Meet contribution requirement
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Have a care need
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Application
Apply for your benefit
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Caregiver
Receive Services