Washington Long Term Care Costs & Insurance Partnership Program
The State of Washington ranks third in the United States with the highest expenses for home health aide (Medicare-certified) services, amounting to as much as $192,955 annually. Rates in nursing facilities across the state currently average at $80,473 each year while those for assisted facilities are at $38,410. These were according to Genworth Financial's 2009 Cost of Care, an extensive study on the current trends of the Long Term Care industry in the country. The following are the present costs of care in various areas in the state of Washington.
| Region | Home Health Aide Hourly Rate (Medicare Certified) |
Assisted Living Facility Monthly Rate (Private room) |
Nursing Home Daily Rate (Semi-private room) |
Nursing Home Daily Rate (Private room) |
| Bellingham | $25 | $3,500 | $217 | $227 |
| Bremerton - Silverdale | $23 | $4,063 | $250 | $294 |
| Kennewick - Pasco - Richland | $20 | $3,863 | $213 | $223 |
| Longview | $18 | $3,350 | $208 | $212 |
| Mount Vernon - Anacortes | $24 | $3,750 | $220 | $218 |
| Olympia | $21 | $4,375 | $240 | $276 |
| Seattle - Tacoma - Bellevue | $25 | $4,000 | $235 | $248 |
| Spokane | $25 | $3,325 | $231 | $244 |
| Wenatchee | $18 | $3,800 | $208 | $224 |
| Yakima | $19 | $3,100 | $180 | $188 |
| Rest of State | $21 | $3,783 | $210 | $210 |
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Washington residents can compare the top 8 providers of long term care insurance in the state to get the best price.
Long Term Care Services
Medicaid may help pay for these Long Term Care services. Medicaid is a public insurance program made available only to those with very limited assets and income. Therefore, individuals applying for Medicaid coverage must meet financial requirements. These financial criteria depend on the services needed. Income and asset limits often change. To obtain the most up-to-date information, residents of the State of Washington must contact their Home and Community Services office.
Medicaid is the last third-party payer for Long Term Care needs. Meaning, care costs must be paid first, either by self-pay or other third-party payers such as private insurance or employer-sponsored insurance. Only when all benefits are availed shall Medicaid step in. Residents are then forced to exhaust personal savings and resources in order to apply.
With the aim of enabling the people to protect assets and be assured of a dignified life in the future, the State of Washington hopes to adopt a Partnership program, following the footsteps of other states with current Partnership status. The Washington Long-Term Care Partnership (Chapter 48.85 RCW) is currently being studied by legislators. If approved, the Partnership program will be a collaboration of private insurance companies and state agencies, namely the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services and the Office of the Insurance Commissioner.
The Washington Long Term Care Partnership Program
The Washington Long Term Care Partnership will allow individuals to protect assets from being spent down as they pay for their Long Term Care needs. Individuals who will purchase Long Term Care policies from insurance companies participating in the Partnership will be able to keep assets above the limit which Medicaid would normally allow during the eligibility process. The amount of assets that will not be counted towards Medicaid eligibility is equal to the insurance benefits paid by the Partnership policy.
Long Term Care Partnership Policy
The Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner shall adopt rules that must be met to satisfy the requirements of the Partnership program. Partnership policies must provide automatic inflation protection, at the time of purchase, for individuals through 79 years of age. Inflation protection shall be optional for policies issued to individuals aged 80. Policies shall provide coverage for nursing home care and an alternative plan of care, and not require policyholders' prior hospitalization or confinement in a nursing home in order to receive insurance benefits. Policies shall provide an optional coverage benefit for home and community-based care. Policies shall be guaranteed renewable. They shall provide at least 6-month grace period to reinstate retroactive to the date of termination should the policyholder fail to pay premiums due to cognitive impairment (certified by physician).
Participating insurance companies, on the other hand, shall offer case management services and provide policyholders a notice about the Long Term Care consumer education program. They must have a system for keeping records of policies and payments of benefits made under the policy. Insurers shall likewise submit to the Insurance Commissioner each year a report of Long Term Care insurance data as specified by the Commissioner.
To provide information on the availability of Long Term Care insurance and eligibility guidelines to avail asset protection, a consumer education program shall be established by the combined efforts of Partnership insurance companies and state agencies, i.e. Department of Social and Health Services and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.
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Washington Long Term Care Insurance References
- State-Specific Data From The Genworth 2010 Cost of Care Survey.
- Chapter 48.85 RCW. Washington Long-Term Care Partnership. Washington State Legislature.
- Chapter 284-85 WAC. Long-term Care Partnership. Washington State Legislature.
- Medicaid and Long-Term Care Services for Adults. 2008. Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.