Legislature votes for delay on Long-Term Care Insurance

This House debated and voted on legislation impacting Washington state’s Long-Term Care Insurance and Payroll Tax, a plan created through House Bill 1087 during the 2019 legislative session.

House Bill 1732 would delay implementation of the program by 18 months and delay the collection of premiums until July 1, 2023. House Bill 1733 would create four new voluntary exemptions from the program.

I am grateful the governor and more legislators are starting to understand the many inherent problems with the long-term care insurance plan and payroll tax. It would be my first preference to repeal the program entirely. If that is not feasible, we should try to replace it with a plan that is more solvent and allow participants to opt-in rather than opt-out. The key thing is to have as many choices as possible. If workers have money taken out of their paychecks for a mandatory program, they may not be able to afford an additional policy that works better for them.

House Bill 1594, sponsored by Rep. Peter Abbarno, would repeal the program.

House Bill 1913, sponsored by Rep. Drew Stokesbary, would repeal and replace it with a privately managed program that would leverage the state’s existing revenues to make long-term care coverage both affordable and optional. Under this plan, private insurance carriers would reinsure a portion of the risk they assume when writing long-term care policies and receive a state tax credit for all reinsurance premiums paid.

Thank you for staying involved in your state government and for allowing me to serve you in the state Legislature.