Washington's long-term-care law has been delayed. A bill approved by the state's House and Senate has been signed by Gov. Jay Inslee, The Seattle Times reports. 

As we read articles and lawmaker comments about the 18-month delay and the long-term solvency of the program, it’s good to keep exemption numbers in mind. They not only give us an idea of how unpopular this program is and how many additional workers will leave it, the number of opt-outs will also impact new actuarial reports that have been ordered. 

The state thought around 105,000 workers would leave the program under an exemption that was available if you had your own private long-term-care insurance, purchased by Nov. 1, and then got approval from the state. Today, the numbers look like this, as reported by Nick Demerice with the Employment Security Department: 

• Total exemption applications received: 475,041

• Total requests processed: 474,865

• Total applications approved: 471,123

• Total applications incomplete: 3,742

That represents approximately 12.5% of the workforce seeking exemption, Demerice says. And with ESHB 1733, a bill that traveled around Olympia with the delay legislation (SHB 1732), more people can apply to opt out. 

A brief summary of the bill explains that it establishes exemptions from the program — and the payroll tax of 58 cents per $100 earned — for certain groups of people, including “certain veterans, spouses and registered domestic partners of military service members, nonimmigrant temporary workers, and employees who work in Washington and maintain a primary residence outside of Washington.”  

While the Legislature removed some of the program’s glaringly unfair details, workers are still left with a misguided law and, eventually, lower paychecks. 

Worse, the long-term-care fund does not offer the peace of mind the state promises. Its lifetime benefit is inadequate and only some will qualify for it. The law’s cost-shifting will help the Medicaid budget, but not necessarily individuals. It also creates an expansive safety net for people in need and people not in need, eliminates workers' choices about how to save for, or invest in, long-term care, and it will hurt family budgets with a regressive tax.

I urged the law be repealed instead of delayed, as it is not the right solution. Bills and amendments that would have done that, however, went ignored or were voted down.

I hope repeal is explored over these next 18 months. Better solutions for long-term care exist.

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This blog was updated to reflect news of the governor's action.