Governor Inslee Advocates in Rainier Beach for WA Cares Fund

by Nimra Ahmad

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and State Rep. Nicole Macri visited a resident's home in Rainier Beach on Wednesday, May 15, to promote the state's long-term care program, known as the WA Cares Fund.

The WA Cares Fund was signed into law in 2019 to help cover the costs of long-term care and services for seniors, people with disabilities, and people who generally need help completing day-to-day tasks due to some sort of condition, injury, or disease. Examples of services the fund could cover are wheelchairs, medical equipment, and caregivers.

Inslee and Macri, along with two long-term care advocates, visited the home of Markos Worku, who was a nurse with Sea Mar Community Health Centers until he had a stroke at age 47 that cost him the use of his arms and legs. Now, Worku has a home aide named Sonja Thomas who checks on him a few times a week to help him with things like getting dressed, bathing, and preparing meals.

"Being in the rehab facility was like being in a prison to me," Worku said. "I worked hard to regain the ability to move on my own. I have my freedom again. Having a caregiver is everything to me … WA Cares Fund will help people pay for things like the ramp I have to my home and home care aides like Sonja."

In July 2023, Washington workers started to contribute 0.58% of their paychecks to this fund. After contributing for at least 10 years, with some exceptions, Washingtonians will have access to this fund. This year, the legislature approved adding portability to the fund, so that if a person has been contributing to the WA Cares Fund but has to move outside of Washington, they can still access the fund out of state.

"WA Cares is there for people when they start to need help with daily functions," Inslee said. "And now that we've approved portability, your benefit's there for you even if you're not here in Washington anymore. This is a great program made better this session."

Washingtonians will begin to have access to the WA Cares Fund in 2026 with no daily limits if they meet the need requirement. The benefits start at $36,500, with an estimated growth of up to $58,300 in 20 years.

Not everyone is thrilled with the fund, however. The conservative group Let's Go Washington introduced Initiative 2124 to the November ballot, which would amend WA Cares so workers could choose whether or not to participate in the fund. Research found that making the program voluntary would result in it losing funds and would essentially kill the program.

"There's no denying the likelihood that most of us will either need care for ourselves, or be a caregiver for a loved one someday," Macri said. "Washington's long-term care benefits will provide a lifeline of support when that happens."

📸 Featured Image: Gov. Jay Inslee and supporters of the WA Cares Fund rally and hold a press conference near Lake Washington Apartments in Rainier Beach. (Photo courtesy of We Care for WA Cares)