The moment we’ve all been waiting for is here. (When I say all, I mean policy nerds like me.) The WA Cares Fund’s May newsletter states that some workers can apply for benefits from the program starting May 18.
Which workers? People who are in need of long-term care and who have been paying a payroll tax to WA Cares on at least 500 working hours each year since 2023. I expect that pool of people to be small, but if you or someone you know fits that description, read more about the contribution and care-need requirements here and apply for benefits here. The newsletters says that the May 18 application start date will allow applicants to complete the process in time to start services as soon as benefits become available July 1.
Being eligible for caregiving also means that beneficiaries will be selecting caregivers in many cases, and yet potential family caregivers are still not being adequately informed about the requirements of them, their rights or how to best navigate being a paid caregiver. Instead when they go to register, they are steered this way:
“How to get started: First, in order to be paid through WA Cares for providing care, the person you’re caring for must be eligible for WA Cares benefits. Once their application is approved, they will be able to choose you as their provider and pay you for the care you provide. The next step is for you to become an employee of either Consumer Direct Care Network of Washington or a home care agency registered with WA Cares.”
While a link is given to Consumer Direct Care Network of Washington (CDWA), there are no links to home health care agencies or even a list of them. And potential providers likely don’t know that it matters who they choose. They shouldn’t let ease of registration with one dictate the choice. Some options will require union membership and dues. Some will not.
A WA Cares Fund manager told me this in late March: “If a family caregiver and beneficiary decide to use CDWA for in-home personal care and the family caregiver is hired and becomes an IP, they are then subject to the Collective Bargaining Agreement between CDWA and SEIU 775 as an employee of CDWA. In this case, they would be required to become a member of SEIU 775, unless they meet a religious objection exemption.”
Further, “If a family caregiver decides to work for a home care agency that is collectively bargained, they may be required to become a union member and pay dues, depending on the details of that agency’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Family caregivers can also choose to work for a home care agency that is not collectively bargained. In this case, they would not be required to become a union member or pay dues.”
Lawmakers and a state agency have both said family caregivers do not have to belong to a union to be a WA Cares caregiver. Yet that distinction is not clearly explained — nor does there appear to be an easy way to become a caregiver without being with an employment group, unionized or not.
This is annoying. If I were applying to be a family caregiver or in need of caregiving help as a beneficiary, I wouldn’t know where to start. With competing life tasks and the urgency of a family member needing care, I would likely choose expediency, become employed with CDWA and be stuck paying part of the promised WA Cares benefit to a union.
Clean guidance and an alternate pathway are not found in registration materials, and they have not been communicated by program administrators when asked in webinars that WA Cares has been hosting for providers for months.
What potential caregivers need to know:
• Caregivers may choose to join the union.
• Union membership is not required as a WA Cares caregiver. They should call 844-CARE4WA for help and ask for guidance to a full range of employer options.
• Applicants should read any union onboarding forms carefully before signing them.
Providing that clarity would not undermine unions or the long-term care workforce. It would simply ensure that family caregivers understand their options before entering a complicated employment structure.
WA Cares was created in part to help families with long-term-care needs. Right? That’s what all the WA Cares marketing says. It isn’t just about lowering the state’s Medicaid budget and having more unionized caregivers in the state, right? The state needs to make sure Washingtonians can navigate this program without confusion about their employment status — or their rights.
