OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) is holding a public hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 6, to discuss proposed rules around supplemental long-term care insurance.
Supplemental long-term care insurance was established as an option in Washington under ESSB 5291, which the Legislature passed in 2025. It will pay for long-term care expenses once the benefits available to Washington residents under the WA Cares Fund have been exhausted.
The bill also directed the OIC to craft rules for how the product is offered and regulated to ensure all affected parties understand their rights and obligations under the new law.
The proposed rule language was filed in November. (PDF 802.05KB)
The bill directed the OIC to write rules on supplemental long-term care insurance with specific provisions covering:
- Mandatory disclosures to supplemental long-term care consumers.
- Loss ratio standards.
- Consumer protections related to premium adequacy and large rate increases.
- Marketing practices.
- Producer education, compensation, and testing.
- Penalties.
- Reporting practices.
- Patient privacy and confidentiality rights.
- Prompt payment requirements and timely review standards for denied claims.
- Other reasonable rules to carry out the new chapter.
The hearing begins at 10 a.m. on Jan. 6 over Zoom. Comments can be submitted by email after the hearing until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 7.