Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Trust Act
In 2019 the state enacted a long-term care insurance benefit for all eligible Washingtonians, funded by worker contributions into a Trust Fund. The Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Trust Act is the first of its kind in the United States and is the latest example of the state’s standing as a national leader in long-term care policy. The LTSS Trust both protects our workers against the economic and social risks of needing long-term care as they age and better positions the state to cope with the fiscal and economic costs of the coming age wave and long-term care challenge.
Under this law, individuals will have access to a lifetime benefit of $36,500 that will be adjusted annually for inflation. Beginning in January 2022, workers will pay $0.58 per $100 of earnings. Beginning in January 2025, workers who have vested in the Trust and need long-term care will be able to access their earned LTSS Trust benefits. These benefits can be used for a range of services and supports, including:
- professional care at home, licensed residential or nursing facilities
- home safety evaluations
- home-delivered meals
- training, pay and support for family members who provide care
- rides to the doctor
- adaptive equipment and technology like wheelchair ramps and medication reminder devices.
LTSS Trust Act Timeline
2019 – Governor Inslee signed 2SHB 1087 into law.
2022 – Working Washingtonians begin paying premiums.
2025 – Benefits begin for qualified beneficiaries needing long-term care.
Why the LTSS Trust is Important
- 7 in 10 Washingtonians who turn 65 today will need long-term services and supports within their lifetimes.
- The vast majority of seniors today must rely on family members or Medicaid to provide care.
- To access Medicaid long-term care, people must spend down their life savings and impoverish themselves to qualify for financial support.
- Family caregivers who leave the workforce to provide unpaid long-term services and supports forgo their own income and lose critical health and retirement benefits.
What the Law Will Do
The Benefit:
Beginning January 2025, each person who is eligible to receive the benefit will be able to access services and supports worth up to $36,500 over their lifetimes.
The nominal value of this benefit will increase over time to keep pace with inflation.
The benefit will be available to be used for a range of services and supports, including:
- Professional care in your home, a licensed residential facility or a nursing facility
- Adaptive equipment and technology like wheelchair ramps and medication reminder devices
- Home safety evaluations
- Training, pay and support for family members who provide care
- Home-delivered meals
- Care transition coordination
- Memory Care
- Environmental modification
- Personal emergency response system
- Respite for family caregivers
- Transportation
- Dementia supports
- Education and consultation
- Eligible relative care
- Services that assist paid and unpaid family members caring for eligible individuals
- In-home personal care
- Assisted living services
Trust Contributions: 
- Washington workers will pay $0.58 per $100 of earnings.
- Every employee contributes – employers do not.
- If you are self-employed, you can opt-in to the Trust.
Qualifying for Trust Benefits:
- To qualify for benefits from the Trust, you must have worked and contributed to the Trust for:
- At least ten years at any point in your life without a break of five or more years within those ten years, or
- Three of the last six years
- and at least 500 hours per year during those years.
- To be eligible for benefits, you must be a current Washington resident and need assistance with at least three activities of daily living such as:
- Medication management
- Personal Hygiene
- Eating
- Toileting
- Cognitive Impairment
- Transfer Assistance
- Body Care
- Bathing
- Ambulation/Mobility
- Dressing
Download the LTSS Trust Informational One-Pager here.
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