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Excited to learn more about the WA Cares Fund? We’ve got events and options for you!

WA CARES WEBINARS

Each month, WA Cares hosts a webinar via Zoom to discuss a new topic related to aging and caregiving. Each webinar includes a basic overview of WA Cares and how the program relates to that month’s issue. Check out the schedule below and check back each month for more details.

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Can’t join live? Captioned recordings are available via the WA Cares YouTube Channel!

Upcoming Webinars

Premium collection and quarterly reporting

Thursday, May 25, 11 a.m. to noon

This webinar is full and limited to 500 participants. A recording will be posted on YouTube for those who are not able to join live. Check back for more webinars soon!

There’s plenty to know about WA Cares and Paid Leave, and we’re committed to making your experience as easy as possible with helpful info and resources. Join us for an employer-focused webinar, where we’ll cover Paid Leave and WA Cares premium collection, quarterly reporting, payments and more!

Calculating premiums, in-depth

Wednesday, May 31, 11 a.m. to noon

This webinar is full and limited to 500 participants. A recording will be posted on YouTube for those who are not able to join live. Check back for more webinars soon!

Are you looking for more in-depth conversations around WA Cares and Paid Leave premium calculations? Join us for employer-focused webinars, where we will cover specific topics more in depth. Topics will include paying employee premiums, social security cap, what to do when you are over- or under-withholding, and using online resources like our premium calculator.

2023 Webinar Schedule

Date	Topic	Presenter/Panelists	Login Information/ Recording Link
January 18, 2023	WA Cares Basics: What Workers Need to Know	Kristen Maki, WA Cares Fund Community Relations & Outreach Program Manager, DSHS	View recording Presentation slides
May 4, 2023	Chamber Briefing: How to Prepare for WA Cares	Rachel Smith, President & CEO, Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce Ben Veghte, WA Cares Fund Director, DSHS Alison Eldridge, Transformation Manager, ESD	Event details Presentation slides
May 18, 2023	WA Cares Basics: What Businesses Need to Know	Kristen Maki, WA Cares Fund Community Relations & Outreach Program Manager, DSHS Alison Eldridge, Transformation Manager, ESD	View recording Presentation slides
May 25, 2023 from 11:00-12:00	Premium collection and quarterly reporting	Employment Security Department staff	Register
May 31, 2023 from 11:00-12:00	Calculating premiums, in-depth	Employment Security Department staff	Register
June 2023	WA Cares Conversations: Caregiving & Brain Health	Details to be added.	Details to be added.
July 2023	WA Cares Basics: What Workers Need to Know	Details to be added.	Details to be added.

2022 Webinar Archive

Date	Topic	Panelists	Login Information/ Recording Link
June 28, 2022	Caregiving and the LGBTQ+ Community	Hannah Dahlke, Member, LGBTQ+ Seniors of the Inland NW Ruben Rivera-Jackman, Trainer, National Resource Center on LGBTQ+ Aging Steven Knipp, Executive Director, GenPride Janice Emery, Member, NW LGBTQ+ Senior Care Providers Network (Flyer)	Recording available: https://youtu.be/56rNXhhT0t0 Presentation slides
July 19, 2022	The Gender Gap in Caregiving	Jessica Gomez-Barrios, Political and Advocacy Coordinator, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 775 Maggie Humphreys, Washington State MomsForce Director, Moms Rising Lunell Haught, President, Washington State League of Women Voters	Recording available: https://youtu.be/a8CFSoJIObU Presentation slides
August 31, 2022	Long-Term Care Planning for Near-Retirees	Cathy MacCaul, Advocacy Director, AARP Washington Laura Cepoi, Executive Director, Olympic Area Agency on Aging Ben Veghte, Director, WA Cares Fund (DSHS)	Recording available: https://youtu.be/u2H7EaJDspU Presentation slides
October 6, 2022	The Next Generation of Caregivers	Susan Engels, Office Chief, State Unit on Aging (DSHS) Christine Morris, Office Chief, Training, Communications and Workforce Development (DSHS) Dani Rice, Caregiver	Recording available: https://youtu.be/eAWF3QvIXvQ Presentation slides
October 27, 2022	Long-Term Care Planning for Younger Workers	Laura Cepoi, Executive Director, Olympic Area Agency on Aging Ryan Davis, Interim Executive Director, Washington Asset Building Coalition	Recording available: https://youtu.be/Cfs0wSyI6gw Presentation slides
November 17, 2022	Caregiver Mental Health	Daryn Nelsen-Soza, Board Member & Senior Education Manager, NAMI Washington Dana Allard-Webb, Family Caregiver Support Program Manager, DSHS Adrienne Cotton, MAC & TSOA Program Manager, DSHS Lynne Korte, Dementia Care Program Policy Manager, Dementia Action Collaborative	Recording available: https://youtu.be/wNNXFi6szyU Presentation slides

REQUEST A SPEAKER

Is your organization interested in hearing directly from WA Cares staff or our partners? Are you planning a professional event and interested in having a presentation on WA Cares as part of your agenda? Look no further! Fill out the form below and a staff member will be in touch with you as soon as possible.

Please note: Submitting a request does not guarantee a speaker. Subject to staff availability and scheduling.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Benefits offered and care need

Is there a daily limit to WA Cares Fund benefits?
WA Cares Fund is a flexible benefit you can use to meet your care needs up to $36,500 with no daily limit.

What services will WA Cares Fund provide?
WA Cares Fund will pay for care where you need it, whether it’s in-home or in a facility. You can hire a home care aide and pay a qualified family member (including a spouse) to provide care. You can use funds flexibly to make home modifications so you can get around better, purchase a home safety evaluation so you can prevent avoidable falls, and have meals delivered to your door. You can purchase equipment, assistive devices, medication reminders, and transportation to the doctor. If you are being supported by an unpaid family caregiver, you can hire a home care aide to give them a break or get your family members the training they need to feel supported. These are just some of the services WA Cares Fund will offer. Others include dementia supports, memory care, care transitions, personal emergency response systems, and more.

How long will $36,500 typically last?
Twenty hours of home care per week for one year costs around $32,000 in Washington State. The typical DSHS long-term care client uses 96 hours per month. WA Cares Fund can provide complete financial relief for families who are paying out of pocket for in-home long-term care for a full year and substantial relief for individuals who receive care in a residential setting. According to AARP, 48% of people who need long-term care only need it for one year or less.

How will the department decide if I have a need for long-term care?
DSHS will ask you questions about your activities of daily living and the support you need. If you need assistance with at least three activities of daily living, you are eligible for benefits. This may be based on self-report and could be verified by a health professional. The types of activities DSHS will ask you about are eating, bathing, walking, or moving around in a wheelchair, dressing, getting in and out of a chair and your ability to move around once you are in bed, using the bathroom, managing your medications, personal hygiene, and body care. DSHS will also ask about cognition and any memory/cognitive impairments that impact your daily life. Once you are determined eligible, you have access to the lifetime $36,500 benefit to use flexibly to address your needs.

Employer information

What long-term care insurance policies qualify for an exemption?
The Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) has defined criteria that private policies must meet to qualify.

Our company supplies long-term care insurance for our employees. Can we apply for an exemption on behalf of our employees?
No. Employees get to choose if they want an exemption from WA Cares coverage, or if they want to use WA Cares to supplement the benefits you’re already offering. If they choose to apply for an exemption, they have to do it themselves.

Can I cover the cost of my employees’ premiums?
Yes. You have the option to pay WA Cares premiums on your employees’ behalf.

Do we have to collect premiums for employees who don’t live in Washington?
Businesses will need to collect WA Cares premiums for employees whose work is localized in Washington. Generally, you’ll collect premiums for WA Cares from the same employees you pay premiums on for Paid Family and Medical Leave.

Do WA Cares contributions top out at the Social Security cap?
No. Unlike Paid Family and Medical Leave, premium contributions do not top out at the taxable maximum for Social Security.

How do I know if my employees have approved exemptions?
It is the employee’s responsibility to notify and give you a copy of their approval letter from ESD, which contains the date their exemption goes into effect. Once you are provided the letter and the effective date has passed, you must stop withholding premiums. Employers must return incorrectly withheld premiums to the employee.

Exemptions

What are the new exemption types and how do I know if I qualify?
New legislation created additional exemption types. You can’t apply for these exemptions until Jan. 1, 2023. The new exemptions are for people who are:

Living out of state – your primary residence must be outside of Washington.
- You will no longer qualify if you change your primary residence to Washington.
Temporarily working in Washington with a nonimmigrant visa – you must hold a nonimmigrant visa for temporary workers.
- You will no longer qualify if your nonimmigrant visa status changes and you become a permanent resident or citizen employed in Washington.
A spouse or registered domestic partner of an active-duty military member – you must be married to or have a registered domestic partnership with an active-duty service member in the U.S. armed forces.
- You will no longer qualify if your spouse or domestic partner is discharged or separated from military service or upon dissolution of the marriage or registered domestic partnership.
A veteran with a 70% or greater service-connected disability – you must be rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as having a service-connected disability of 70% or greater.
- This exemption is permanent.

What documentation will I need to provide when applying for an exemption?
We need to verify certain documents when you submit your exemption application. Make sure you’re fully prepared.

What do I do if I no longer qualify for one of above exemptions?
Your exemption will be discontinued when you no longer qualify for an exemption, and you will begin paying premiums and earning coverage for WA Cares Fund. You will be required to notify the Employment Security Department and your employer within 90 days of no longer qualifying. Failure to notify the Employment Security Department and your employer within 90 days will result in the payment of any unpaid premiums with interest at the rate of 1% per month to the Employment Security Department.

Can I still apply for a private LTC insurance exemption?
No. Those who had private long-term care insurance on or before Nov. 1, 2021, were able to apply for an exemption from the WA Cares Fund from Oct. 1, 2021, until Dec. 31, 2022. This opt-out provision is no longer available.

Can I cancel my private LTC insurance since the program was delayed?
The legislative changes delayed parts of the WA Cares implementation by 18 months but the requirements and deadlines for this type of exemption didn’t change. If you already have an approved exemption, it’s up to you to decide to maintain or cancel your private long-term care policy. You should speak with your broker or agent who sold you the policy about options.

Can I get a refund for the private LTC insurance policy I purchased?
Purchasing a private policy to qualify for a WA Cares exemption was a voluntary decision by individuals wishing to opt out of the program. If individuals have already received an approval letter from ESD exempting them from the WA Cares program, their exemption is still approved and will still be effective once premium assessment begins on July 1, 2023.

The laws passed in 2022 did not change the requirements for private long-term care insurance and exemption status in RCW 50B.04.085. It is up to individuals to decide whether they wish to maintain or cancel their private long-term care policies. The laws also did not provide for reimbursement of the cost of long-term care insurance voluntarily obtained by individuals.

The purchase of a private policy is between the customer and their private insurance provider. Customers should contact their insurance provider with questions.