Employment Security Department - Washington State

Employer Newsletter - June 2021 | Issue 2 | Special Edition

Washington State Employment Security Department sent this bulletin at 06/10/2021 10:00 AM PDT

June 2021 | Issue 2 | Special Edition

WA Cares Fund: Age confidently in Washington

Washington is the first state in the nation to make long-term care more affordable for workers. As many of us watch our parents and grandparents age, we start to wonder, “who will take care of me when I get older and how will I afford it?” WA Cares is a new fund to which we all contribute while we’re working, and through which we can access long-term care when we need it.

How WA Cares benefits Washington workers

It’s affordable. The WA Cares Fund is an affordable long-term care insurance program for all working Washingtonians.
It offers choice. WA Cares empowers us to control how and where we receive long-term care.
It provides peace of mind. We no longer have to worry about how we will afford long-term care as we age.

The benefit is flexible

People who have a need for long-term services and supports may begin applying for benefits in January 2025. At that time, vested individuals can use their WA Cares benefits for a range of services and supports, such as:

Professional personal care in your home, an assisted living facility, an adult family home or a nursing home.
Adaptive equipment and technology like hearing devices and medication reminder devices.
Home safety evaluations.
Training and support for paid and unpaid family members who provide care.
Home-delivered meals.
Care transition coordination.
Memory care.
Environmental modifications like wheelchair ramps.
Personal emergency response system.
Respite for family caregivers.
Transportation.
Dementia support.
Education and consultation.

We’ve got your back. There’s plenty to know about WA Cares, and we’re committed to making your experience as easy as possible by providing the tools and information you need. Take a look:

Visit our employer page to learn about WA Cares and what to expect.
Check out our employer toolkit for helpful resources.
Keep an eye out for articles in upcoming Employer Newsletters for regular WA Cares updates.

Coming soon! Our WA Cares team will begin hosting webinars in early autumn to walk you through the updates we’re making to Paid Leave’s reporting process so you can easily report once for both programs. Stay tuned!

Upcoming conferences and symposiums

REGISTER NOW for virtual 2021 ESD Economic Symposium: A Post-Pandemic Roadmap to Economic Recovery

Join experts and colleagues from across the state on June 15 & 16 at ESD’s all-virtual Economic Symposium to find out the latest on the post-pandemic economic recovery topics that everyone is talking about! Check out the Symposium website to learn more and register.

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