Image Helping You Cover Your Tomorrows The WA Cares Fund ensures all working Washingtonians can earn access to long-term care when they need it. How it works Covered services Apply for benefits Find a provider Image 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. KD is grateful to have her mother-in-law living in her home but says care-related expenses can take a toll. The last thing you want people thinking about in their golden years is money. WA Cares is a really unique program – to know that as you get older, you’re still cared for and you’re still valuable. If KD’s mother-in-law had WA Cares, she could use her benefit for: Paid family caregiver Home safety evaluation Care respite services Image At 30, Dani experienced a complication during a routine medical procedure that left her with a spinal cord injury. I’d never really seen anyone my age need long-term care until it happened to me. Life happens to all of us. At any point in time, you could experience a serious illness or an injury or a traumatic event. If Dani had WA Cares, she could use her benefit for: In-home care Home modifications Transportation Image Sisters Sun-Hee and Yunhee stepped back from their nursing careers to provide daily care for their mom. We want her to be safe, happy and content. But we haven’t been working during this time, so we have zero income. A resource like WA Cares would be so helpful in easing that financial aspect. If Sun-Hee & Yunhee’s mom had WA Cares, she could use her benefit for: Paid family caregiver Home-delivered meals Assistive device Image See more care stories 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. Icon 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. Icon 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. Icon 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. Icon 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. Image How the Fund Works See details about how it works, including contributions, eligibility, and applying for benefits Icon Automatically contribute Icon Meet contribution requirement Icon Have a care need Icon Apply for your benefit Icon Receive services Featured Videos X Video duration 0:45 Plant the seed X Video duration 1:30 A long-term care fund for everyone X Video duration 1:45 Earn a living or care for a loved one? Latest Program News Image WA Cares basics for self-employed workers Mar. 30, 2026 Image Meet the team that ensures WA Cares remains effective Mar. 7, 2026 Image Spotlight on care options with WA Cares Feb. 27, 2026 Image Spotlight on WA Cares applications Jan. 30, 2026 See all news Stay connected to WA Cares Sign up for email updates on policy changes, announcements, and community events. E-mail address Thanks for signing up! We'll be in touch soon.
KD is grateful to have her mother-in-law living in her home but says care-related expenses can take a toll. The last thing you want people thinking about in their golden years is money. WA Cares is a really unique program – to know that as you get older, you’re still cared for and you’re still valuable. If KD’s mother-in-law had WA Cares, she could use her benefit for: Paid family caregiver Home safety evaluation Care respite services Image
At 30, Dani experienced a complication during a routine medical procedure that left her with a spinal cord injury. I’d never really seen anyone my age need long-term care until it happened to me. Life happens to all of us. At any point in time, you could experience a serious illness or an injury or a traumatic event. If Dani had WA Cares, she could use her benefit for: In-home care Home modifications Transportation Image
Sisters Sun-Hee and Yunhee stepped back from their nursing careers to provide daily care for their mom. We want her to be safe, happy and content. But we haven’t been working during this time, so we have zero income. A resource like WA Cares would be so helpful in easing that financial aspect. If Sun-Hee & Yunhee’s mom had WA Cares, she could use her benefit for: Paid family caregiver Home-delivered meals Assistive device Image
