WA state is a leader when it comes to managing long-term care. New tax begins July 1 | Opinion

Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

Wise words to embrace when it comes to innovating programs aimed at addressing chronic public health challenges.

Washington is literally first out of the gate to thoughtfully build a program aimed at providing flexible, affordable benefits for workers when the likely need for long-term care comes along — there is no federal program that can meet the needs of an aging baby boomer population. Many other states, including California, are following our lead in developing public long-term care benefit programs, improving the pathway to making benefits portable.

Innovation requires iteration to achieve full potential. Programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid were all subjected to doubts and calls for changes. Today, most of us could never imagine life without them.

The fact is we are in a “perfect storm” care crisis of a rapidly aging population, medical advancements, combined with a shortage of caregivers. We are living longer, and the need for help with daily living tasks as a result of a serious injury, illness, disease or the normal challenges that can come with aging is nearly inevitable.

Washington is widely recognized as a national leader when it comes to providing choices and options for long-term care. The latest Long-Term Services and Supports State Scorecard shows Washington ranks second in the nation for our approach, and for our emphasis on services and supports that enable people to age in their own homes and communities where they want to be.

However, being a national leader in long-term care is both a blessing and a challenge. It means we must lean in to innovate and improve, not fold and retreat, to address this care crisis that has devastating impacts on millions of families. The unmet need is immense, which should spur policymakers to work even harder to develop solutions.

It is predicted that 70% of us will need long-term care at some point in our lives, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. And long-term care is not just for seniors. 40% of us needing assistance with daily living activities are under 65. 57% of non-elderly adults have a pre-existing condition like cancer, diabetes, MS, Lupus, high blood pressure, asthma.

The Long-Term Services and Supports Commission has recommended to the legislature that WA Cares benefits be made portable for people who meet contribution requirements but move to another state before they need care. The implementation of WA Cares begins July 1, with distribution of benefits to individuals who qualify starting in 2026. This gives legislators, program administrators, and stakeholders time to make the tweaks that are still needed. The issue of portability can and should be resolved, but it will require cooperation with other programs since other states do not yet have similar programs to WA Cares. It will take time to work out the details, but there is a path to portability.

Most people want to be able to age in place at home, or when we face challenges caring for ourselves as a result of an injury, illness or disease. WA Cares will give us the choice of staying in our homes by paying an aide or family member to provide care when we need help with daily activities like dressing, bathing, managing meals and medication. WA Cares funds will begin to help fill a critical gap in resources, supporting us to stay in our homes, and delaying the need for families to spend down their assets and rely on Medicaid for long-term care.

Most often, family caregivers are women or people of color. Accessing long term care is even more challenging for women and BIPOC-led households with historical barriers to mechanisms for savings that mean lower retirement balances, and less of a buffer when they need help. There are an estimated 820,000 unpaid family caregivers in WA. Women are more likely to be the ones to quit their job to care for family members, depleting family savings and income potential, and taking valuable members out of the workforce.

In the last six months, as the new state director of AARP, I’ve traveled across the state and heard so many poignant stories about the rewards of caregiving, but also about the extreme challenges and sacrifices families make to provide the best care possible for their loved ones.

WA Cares, like so much in life, is not perfect. But it is an exciting and promising opportunity to give millions of Washingtonians some relief and support during what can often be the most stressful, physically, emotionally and financially challenging times of our lives.

Marguerite Ro, DrPH is state director of Washington AARP.