Benefits for seniors in Washington

Medicaid for people 65 and over

The Health Care Authority (HCA) runs Washington Apple Health. The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) handles long-term care. Apple Health for people 65 and over, or who are blind or have a disability, has its own income and asset rules.

• Income: For full coverage, income is at or below $994 a month for one person, or $1,491 for a couple. This is the same as the federal SSI payment.
• Savings and other assets: $2,000 for one person, or $3,000 for a couple.
• A little over the income limit? Washington has a medically needy program. If your medical bills are high, you may be able to "spend down" to qualify.
• What it covers: Doctor visits, hospital care, medicine, and help paying Medicare costs.

Long-term care Medicaid. Apple Health long-term services and supports (LTSS) pay for care at home, in adult family homes, assisted living, or a nursing home. The income limit is higher: $2,982 a month for one person. If you live in a nursing home, you keep $108.74 a month for personal needs. If your spouse still lives at home, they can keep at least $72,529 in assets (up to $162,660 in some cases), and may get a monthly allowance of up to $4,066.50. If your home equity is over $1,130,000, you may not qualify for long-term care.

Estate recovery. After your death, Washington may seek repayment for long-term care it paid for, from assets you owned. It waits while a spouse is alive or a child is under 21, blind or disabled. There is no estate recovery for the Medicare Savings Programs.

Help paying Medicare costs

Washington's Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) have income limits above the federal minimum, and there is no asset test. You will not be asked about your bank balances. The limits below already include the first $20 of income that is not counted.

• QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary): Pays your Part A and Part B premiums, plus deductibles and copays. Income up to $1,483 a month for one person, or $2,004 for a couple.
• SLMB (Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary): Pays your Part B premium. Income up to $1,616 a month for one person, or $2,185 for a couple.
• QI-1 (Qualifying Individual): Pays your Part B premium. Income up to $1,855 a month for one person, or $2,510 for a couple.
• QDWI (Qualified Disabled Working Individual): Pays the Part A premium for some working people with disabilities.

Some income is not counted, so apply even if you are a little over. If you get any MSP, you also get Extra Help with drug costs automatically.

Prescription drug help

The main help with drug costs is the federal Extra Help program. It lowers your Part D premium and copays. You can get it if your income is below 150% of the federal poverty level, about $23,940 a year for one person in 2026. If you have Apple Health or an MSP, you get it without a separate application. To apply on your own, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.

Extra state payment with SSI

Washington pays a small State Supplemental Payment (SSP) to some SSI recipients. People who get SSI because they are 65 or older, blind, or disabled, and people with a spouse who does not get SSI, may get $33 a month on top of federal SSI. The SSP is a state-funded program run by DSHS. People in a medical institution may get a different amount. Federal SSI is up to $994 a month for one person.

Food help

SNAP is called Basic Food in Washington. DSHS runs it.

• Medical costs: If someone in your home is 60 or older or has a disability, you can deduct medical costs over $35 a month. This can raise your benefit.
• Work rules: People 60 and older are generally exempt from work rules. Some people aged 60 to 64 may have participation requirements unless they have another exemption.
• How to apply: Online at washingtonconnection.org, by phone at 877-501-2233, or at a DSHS Community Services Office (find one at dshs.wa.gov/office-locations).

Help staying at home

Call Community Living Connections at 1-855-567-0252 (waclc.org) to learn your options. The main programs are:

• Community First Choice and Medicaid Personal Care: Pay for help with bathing, dressing and other daily care at home. You can choose your caregiver, including a family member DSHS can pay.
• Medicaid Alternative Care (MAC): For people 55 and over who qualify for Apple Health LTSS and have an unpaid family caregiver. It supports the caregiver with training, respite and equipment. No estate recovery.
• Tailored Supports for Older Adults (TSOA): For people 55 and over who need some help and have more savings than Apple Health allows, up to $84,354 for one person. No estate recovery.
• PACE: For people 55 and over. Offered only in parts of King, Pierce, Snohomish and Spokane counties.
• Family Caregiver Support Program: Help for unpaid caregivers, whether or not the person they care for has Apple Health.

Property tax and housing help

Your county assessor runs both programs below. Each county has its own income limit, posted at dor.wa.gov/incomethresholds.

• Property tax exemption: You must be 61 or older by December 31 of the assessment year, or unable to work because of a disability, or a qualifying disabled veteran. You must own and live in the home. The exemption has three levels. All levels remove voter-approved levies and part of the state school levy. Lower incomes also get part of the home's value exempt from regular levies, at least $50,000 or $60,000 depending on income. Apply by December 31 of the assessment year.
• Property tax deferral: If you are 60 or older, or have a disability, you can put off paying property taxes. The county income limit is a bit higher. Interest of 5% a year adds up, and the deferred taxes are a lien on the home. Renew each year.
• Surviving spouse: A surviving spouse or domestic partner 57 or older may keep the exemption or deferral.

Help with energy bills

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is run by the Washington State Department of Commerce through local agencies.

• Who qualifies: Household income at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. Household size and heating costs also count.
• How to apply: Find your county's local LIHEAP agency on the Commerce LIHEAP page at commerce.wa.gov and make an appointment. Commerce itself does not take applications.
• Watch for fraud: LIHEAP will never ask for your bank account or routing number.

Free help and counseling

• SHIBA (Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors): Washington's free Medicare counseling program (SHIP). Call 1-800-562-6900.
• Community Living Connections: Washington's link to Area Agencies on Aging and long-term care help. Call 1-855-567-0252 or visit waclc.org.
• DSHS Home and Community Living Administration: Runs long-term care and in-home services for older adults at dshs.wa.gov/altsa.

How to apply

Check what you may qualify for