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2024 Washington Initiative 2124
Proposal to make employee participation in state long-term care program voluntary From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Initiative No. 2124 (I-2124) was a ballot initiative in the US State of Washington that appeared on the November 5, 2024 ballot. The initiative, if passed, would have made participation in Washington's state-run long term health insurance program (WA Cares) voluntary rather than mandatory.[1] The initiative was one of six brought to the state legislature by Let's Go Washington, a Redmond-based political action committee founded by businessman and hedge fund manager Brian Heywood.[2]
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Background
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Perspective
The program known as WA Cares has its roots in the Long-Term Services and Supports Trust Act (Trust Act), which the Washington state legislature passed in 2019.[3] WA Cares is a program is a first-in-the-nation program that provides coverage for long term care costs for Washingtonians, though with a lifetime maximum benefit that started at $36,500 (and whose cap was indexed to inflation).[4][5] Under the Trust Act, all workers in the state would be required to contribute to the program unless they had acquired private long term care insurance by 2021.[4] Workers pay a 0.58% tax on their income (which began in July 2023) and become eligible for the benefits in July of 2026.[6]
WA Cares became one of six issues selected by the Let's Go Washington PAC in 2023 to be included in an initiative petition campaign.[2] The argument made by the organization was that the existing benefit was inadequate to meet citizen needs and that the benefits were not portable.[7] A total of 2.6 million signatures were collected across the 6 issues, including the WA Cares repeal effort, which cleared 324,516 signature threshold required for issue consideration for the 2024 election cycle.[8] I-2124 was the last of the six initiatives to be submitted for consideration.[9] I-2124 was certified by the Secretary of State on January 23, 2024, and introduced to the state legislature on January 29, 2024.[10][11] In February of 2024, Democratic legislative leaders ruled out any movement on I-2124 in the legislature itself, putting the initiative on track for consideration by the public during the 2024 general election.[12][13]
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Language and impact
I-2117 placed the following question before the citizens of Washington:[14]
Initiative Measure No. 2124 concerns state long term care insurance.
This measure would provide that employees and self-employed people must elect to keep coverage under RCW 50B.04 and could opt-out any time. It would also repeal a law governing an exemption for employees.
Should this measure be enacted into law? Yes [ ] No [ ]
If passed, I-2124 would have created an opt-out option which would repeal the payroll tax for those opting out but also make them ineligible for the benefit.[15] However, the decrease in payroll tax revenues could create what some insurers call a "death spiral", causing the program to become insolvent within a few years of beginning to pay out benefits.[15]
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Support for I-2124
As of October 31, 2024, Let's Go Washington and the Taxpayers Accountability Alliance are registered as sponsors of the initiative.[16]
Opposition to I-2124
As of October 31, 2024, the 45th district Democratic Party, the AARP No on I-2124 Committee, Defend Washington, Fuse Voters, the No on 2124 PAC, Protect Washington, the SEIU 775 Ballot Fund, and the Stop Greed PAC are registered as opponents of the initiative.[16]
Public opinion on I-2124
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Results
I-2124 failed with less than 45% of ballots cast in favor.[23]
References
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