February 2025 Monthly Newsletter

Webinars:

Join us for our WA Cares Basics: What Near Retirees Need to Know webinar from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on Feb 19.  In January 2022, the legislature added a new pathway to meeting WA Cares contribution requirements for near-retirees. This new pathway will ensure people who are born before 1968 and near retirement as the WA Cares Fund launches can access partial benefits, even if they are not able to contribute for 10 full years. We will cover what long-term care includes, who contributes to the fund, contribution requirements for near retirees and more. Register today.

Join us and a panel of experts for our WA Cares Conversations: Aging and Nutrition webinar from 11 a.m. – noon on March 12^th.  We will discuss the relationship between aging and nutrition, why nutrition is important as you age, age-related nutritional changes, food insecurity among seniors and nutrition education and resources. We’ll also provide an overview of the WA Cares Fund and how it can help. ASL interpretation and live captioning will be available. Register today.

Find recordings of more past webinars and learn more about upcoming webinars on our website.

Featured video:  

Annie, a dedicated teacher, and Charles, a Navy veteran, were pillars of strength and humor. However, as they aged, their health declined. According to their daughter Kendall, “there were signs for my dad that we started to notice, just little things, forgetfulness, the kind of things that you hear about." This marked the beginning of Kendall's journey as a caregiver for her parents, which intensified when her mother was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Watch Kendall’s story.

Fund Fact: Mental and emotional health while aging

Cognitive decline is not an inevitable part of aging. Staying active, treating depression, managing chronic conditions and maintaining social connections can help maintain cognitive health.

The WA Cares Fund can help cover various services and supports when you need care, including in-home care services, home modifications, transportation, meal delivery, adult day services, and care training for family members. WA Cares benefits can be used to pay family caregivers, helping to reduce the financial strain on families while ensuring quality care from trusted loved ones.

Read more in our monthly news item.

Monthly FAQ: Do I need to live in Washington to receive a benefit?

Starting in July 2026, Washington workers can choose to continue participating in the WA Cares Fund if they move out of state. To become an out-of-state participant, workers must have contributed to WA Cares for at least three years (in which they worked at least 500 hours per year) and must opt in within a year of leaving Washington.

Like other workers, out-of-state participants will keep contributing to the fund during their working years. The state will create a process for out-of-state participants to report their earnings and pay premiums, with a focus on making it easy for participants.

Learn more.

Rulemaking:

CR-101s were filed related to a new chapter of rule for the WA Cares Fund program. The CR-101s cover topics such as appeals for beneficiaries and providers, notifications of agency decisions for beneficiaries and providers, rates, and reimbursements for beneficiaries.

Visit the WA Cares rulemaking website page for more information on rulemaking, view recordings of past sessions, and learn about upcoming sessions.

Please contact Arielle Finney at Arielle.Finney2@dshs.wa.gov with any questions.

Request a speaker:  

Interested in an in-person or virtual presentation on WA Cares for your staff, HR professionals, managers, professional/community organization, or other group in 2025? Fill out our speaker request form we will get back to you with our staff’s availability.