What the Partnership Program Does
Washington is one of about 45 states with a Long-Term Care Partnership Program. The deal: you purchase a qualifying private long-term care insurance policy. Later, if you need to apply for Medicaid (Apple Health) long-term care, you get dollar-for-dollar asset protection equal to the benefits the policy paid out.
In plain terms: if your partnership policy pays out $200,000 in benefits before you need Medicaid, you can keep $200,000 in assets above the normal $2,000 limit and still qualify.
A Concrete Example
Say you buy a partnership policy at age 58. Years later, you need an adult family home. The policy pays out $200,000 in benefits over three years before you exhaust it. You still need care.
Normally, to qualify for Medicaid you'd need to spend down to $2,000 in assets. With the Partnership Program, you get $200,000 of "asset disregard" — you keep up to $202,000 and still qualify. That's $200,000 your spouse and kids retain instead of paying to the nursing home or AFH.
Where to Find Partnership Policies
The Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner maintains a list of insurance carriers approved to sell Partnership-qualified policies in the state. You can find it at insurance.wa.gov by searching "long-term care partnership."
Work with a licensed long-term care insurance broker — ideally one who sells from multiple carriers, not a captive agent for a single company. Premiums and benefit design vary widely; an independent broker can quote several carriers and explain trade-offs.
Who Should Consider It
Partnership policies make the most sense for people in their mid-40s through mid-60s with meaningful assets they want to protect — generally $200,000 to $1 million in net worth. Wealthier families often self-insure; lower-asset families may rely on Medicaid from the start without needing the policy.
If you wait until your 70s to buy, premiums are often prohibitive or you may not qualify medically. The window to act is narrower than people realize.
Typical Cost
A Partnership-qualified policy purchased in your mid-50s typically runs $200–$400/month per person, depending on benefit amount, inflation rider, and elimination period. Hybrid life-and-LTC policies (which return value if you don't use the LTC benefit) cost more upfront but solve the "use it or lose it" complaint that keeps families from buying traditional LTC.
Premiums rise with age. A 65-year-old buying the same policy might pay 50–80% more than a 55-year-old for the same coverage.
Interaction with the WA Cares Fund
The WA Cares Fund is a small state-run LTC benefit (about $36,500 lifetime). A Partnership policy is private insurance with much larger payouts. They aren't substitutes — they're complementary.
Some workers exempted out of WA Cares in 2021–2022 because they already held private LTC coverage. If you did, verify your policy is still in force, still Partnership-qualified, and still meets your needs. More on WA Cares → More on LTC insurance →
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I convert an existing policy to Partnership? A: Sometimes — if the carrier offers a Partnership endorsement on your specific policy. Ask your broker.
Q: Does it protect my home? A: The home is already exempt for Medicaid eligibility while occupied. Partnership protection mostly applies to liquid and investment assets.
Q: Does the Partnership benefit follow me out of state? A: Most states honor reciprocity, but check before moving. Some states' rules differ.
Q: What if I never need long-term care? A: Traditional policies are "use it or lose it." Hybrid policies return value to your estate. Choose the structure that matches your tolerance.