House votes unanimously for model long-term care insurance

Dawn Morrell bill would strengthen consumer protections

February 18, 2008

OLYMPIA—The House of Representatives today took another step toward ensuring that Washington’s aging population will have access to high quality long-term care and long-term care insurance for decades to come.

The House voted unanimously, 94 to 0, to adopt model long-term care insurance legislation recommended by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

“Passing this insurance reform will protect consumer rights and encourage more people to take personal responsibility for their future long-term care needs,” said state Rep. Dawn Morrell, D-Puyallup, the lead sponsor of the measure that passed today.

Morrell chairs Washington’s Task Force on Long-term Care Financing & Chronic Care

Management and serves on the State Council on Aging.

The model long-term care insurance legislation features several important consumer protections, including requirements that insurers fully disclose costs and consumer rights and give full refunds if a policy is cancelled for any reason within 30 days of being purchased.

The measure also requires the state insurance commissioner to develop minimum standards for patient privacy, timely reviews of claim denials, and inflation protections. In addition, the legislation will allow life insurance policies to include long-term care features—which means more choices for consumers who are shopping for life insurance or long-term care coverage.

Today’s action is the second time in three days that the House has passed major legislation relating to the future of long-term care in the state.

On Friday, the House passed another measure sponsored by Morrell, House Bill 2668, to expand services to seniors needing help with long-term care needs. That reform includes several provisions to increase training, access to information, support groups and respite care services for family members who take care of loved ones.  It also launches a state program to help seniors prevent falls, which are a leading cause of hospitalizations among the elderly.

“Washington’s over-65 population will nearly double in the next twenty years and younger people with disabilities will also need effective and compassionate care,” Morrell said.  “We must start planning and preparing so that decades from now our people will still have affordable long-term care that respects their dignity, their needs and their independence. My goal is to help people age in a place they call home.”