WA HB1415

Removes the requirement for 10 consecutive years of premium payments without a 5-year interruption to qualify for WACares benefits, simplifying eligibility to either 10 total years or 3 years within the last 6 years from application date

Adds a new premium exemption category for active duty military service members engaged in off-duty civilian employment, effective January 1, 2026, and allows employees who previously opted out under RCW 50B.04.085 to rescind their exemption and rejoin the program before July 1, 2028

Establishes automatic annual inflation adjustments for the $100/day benefit unit using the Seattle-area CPI-W index, replacing the previous council-determined adjustment process

Creates a new regulatory framework for supplemental long-term care insurance (Title 48 RCW) that coordinates with WACares benefits, including requirements that policies accept WACares benefit exhaustion as evidence of satisfying deductibles and maintain care continuity

Authorizes a pilot project between January 1, 2026 and June 30, 2026 with up to 500 participants to test administrative processes and system capabilities before the full program launch on July 1, 2026