Washington long-term care insurance: cost & coverage
What long-term care costs in Washington, who regulates insurance here, whether the state has an LTC Partnership program, and how to compare quotes.
Who regulates long-term care insurance in Washington
Long-term care insurance policies sold in Washington are regulated by the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner. If you have a complaint about an agent, carrier, or policy, you can file it with the regulator directly.
What long-term care costs in Washington
Median assisted living cost in Washington vs. the national median:
| Location | Median / month | Approx. / year |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $7,400 | $88,800 |
| National median | $6,313 | $75,756 |
Source: SeniorLiving.org median assisted living costs, 2026. See costs for all 50 states for the full table.
What each type of care costs in Washington
Assisted living is only one of the settings people use. Median monthly costs across the main care types in Washington:
| Type of care | Median / month | Approx. / year |
|---|---|---|
| Home health aide | $7,469 | $89,628 |
| Assisted living | $7,400 | $88,800 |
| Nursing home (semi-private room) | $13,488 | $161,856 |
| Nursing home (private room) | $14,683 | $176,196 |
Source: SeniorLiving.org Cost of Care Research (2026)
Washington's LTC Partnership program
Washington has an active LTC Partnership program. Washington's LTC Partnership program (effective December 2011) is jointly administered by OIC, the Health Care Authority, and DSHS.
A Partnership-qualified policy lets you keep an extra dollar of assets, protected from Medicaid spend-down, for every dollar your policy pays out in benefits — see the note above for this state's current status. Learn more about how Partnership programs work.
How the Partnership program works in Washington
Washington's Partnership program offers dollar-for-dollar Medicaid asset protection: every dollar a qualifying policy pays toward care is a dollar of assets excluded when the policyholder later applies for Medicaid long-term-care eligibility. To qualify, coverage must meet legal standards effective January 1, 2012, or be an exchange from a policy issued on or after February 8, 2006. Washington also participates in the national reciprocity agreement, so a Washington Partnership policyholder keeps dollar-for-dollar protection after moving to another reciprocal state, and incoming Partnership holders from those states retain their protection here too.
Source: Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner (2026)
How Washington treats LTC premiums at tax time
Washington has no state individual income tax today, so there is no state tax deduction or credit available for long-term care insurance premiums. That is changing only at the very top of the income scale: under 2026 legislation (Senate Bill 6346), a new 9.9% state income tax begins January 1, 2028 for individuals and joint filers with adjusted gross income above $1 million, with first returns due in 2029 — and it carries no announced long-term-care premium provision.
Source: Washington State Department of Revenue (2026)
This is general information, not tax advice. Confirm your own situation with a tax professional licensed in Washington.
Medicaid long-term care in Washington
Washington's Medicaid program, Apple Health, pays for long-term services and supports (LTSS) at home, in an adult family home or assisted living facility, or in a nursing facility once an applicant passes both a financial test and a functional (activities-of-daily-living) assessment. Under Apple Health for Adults and Apple Health for Workers with Disabilities, the LTSS resource test is waived and no income limit applies. Separate caregiver-support programs — Tailored Supports for Older Adults (TSOA) and Medicaid Alternative Care (MAC) — help unpaid family caregivers of people 55 and older with respite care and home-delivered meals.
Source: Washington State Health Care Authority (2026)
Other Washington long-term care programs
- WA Cares Fund. The WA Cares Fund is Washington's mandatory public long-term-care insurance program, funded by a 0.58% payroll contribution from nearly all employees since July 1, 2023. After meeting a contribution requirement (most workers need 10 years) and having a qualifying care need, workers can access a lifetime benefit of up to $36,500 (which grows over time with inflation) to pay for long-term-care services; benefits are now available statewide.
How to compare quotes in Washington
- Confirm any agent or carrier you talk to is currently licensed to sell in Washington — the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner can confirm licensing status.
- Ask which products a carrier is actively writing in Washington today — availability changes state by state and year to year. See carriers we compare.
- If a Partnership-qualified policy matters to you, confirm with the carrier or agent whether a policy is currently certified as Partnership-qualified in Washington — see this state's Partnership status above.
- Compare traditional and hybrid options side by side — see traditional vs. hybrid coverage.
- Get quotes from more than one carrier; pricing for the same coverage can vary significantly.
Please note: Regulator names, complaint channels, and Partnership-program status can change. Confirm current details with the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner or a licensed agent before making any decision. LongTermCareInsurance411 is not a government agency and does not administer Washington's insurance regulations or Medicaid program.
Last updated: August 22, 2026
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