This page has information specific to this state, including contact information for federal and state agencies, and some key information about laws and consumer protections. Sometimes, state laws are more protective than federal law. For more information on this state's specific laws (e.g., on employment or health insurance), visit Triage Cancer's Charts of State Laws.
Advocacy
- For more information on state services, state agencies, and elected officials, you can view the state government website.
- For more information on how to register to vote in this state, visit the Washington Secretary of State's website.
- View state legislative information, including the legislature's daily schedule and information on current legislative bills.
- For additional information and resources related to advocacy, visit Triage Cancer's Advocacy Topics Page.
Disability Insurance
Federal Disability Programs
- The Social Security Administration (SSA) administers two disability benefits programs: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). For more information on each program and how to apply, visit the SSA Disability Benefits website.
- SSI provides monthly financial assistance to individuals who have: 1) a disability, or are age 65 or older, 2) a low-income level, and 3) low resources. Some states add money to the federal SSI payment. You can learn whether your state does here.
- Find your local SSA office
- For more information on disability insurance, visit Triage Cancer's Disability Insurance Topics Page.
Private Disability Insurance
- You can also purchase short-term and/or long-term disability insurance directly from a private insurance company or this type of insurance may be offered by your employer as an employee benefit. See our Quick Guide to Long-Term Disability Insurance for more information.
Employment
Federal Fair Employment
- The U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, transgender status, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, or genetic information. The laws apply to all types of work situations, including hiring, firing, promotions, harassment, training, wages, and benefits. For more information about the EEOC, including how to file a complaint, visit the EEOC's website, call 800.669.4000, or email info@eeoc.gov.
- The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a program funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, that provides free, expert, and confidential guidance on job accommodations and disability employment issues. They also have several resources on how to approach an employer to request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act and a Searchable Online Accommodation Resource where individuals can find suggested accommodations based on job duties or limitations that they are experiencing. For more information, visit the JAN website, call 800.526.7234, or email jan@AskJAN.org.
State Fair Employment
- To learn more about your state's fair employment laws, including information about discrimination in the workplace and how to file a complaint, visit the Washington State Human Rights Commission website or call 800.233.3247.
State Unemployment
- Washington's program is administered by the State Employment Security Department, 800.318.6022.
- Filing an unemployment claim
- Comprehensive guide book
- Current weekly benefit amount and maximum length of benefits
- Customer service: 833.572.8400 (general questions), 800.318.6022 (open claims).
- Payment is available via debit card or direct deposit. Most claimants will be required to conduct three job search activities per week to maintain eligibility for benefits. Job search activities must be recorded in a verifiable log. Claimants may also be required to appear in person at a job search center appointment.
Vocational Rehabilitation
- Your state's Vocational Rehabilitation agency provides vocational rehabilitation services that are designed to help job seekers with disabilities obtain competitive employment in integrated work settings. For more information on their services, eligibility requirements, and how to apply, visit the Washington State Department of Health & Social Services, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation website, or call 360.725.3636 or 800.637.5627.
More Information
- For more employment resources, visit Triage Cancer's Work & Cancer Topics Page.
Employment – Taking Time Off
Federal Leave Laws
- The U.S. Department of Labor Wage & Hour Division enforces the Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA) (866.487.9243). The FMLA is a federal law that allows eligible employees to take up to a total of 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year under certain circumstances.
State Family & Medical Leave (for self & for caregivers)
- Washington has a state Paid Family and Medical Leave, enforced by the Employment Security Department (833-717-2273)
State Paid Family Leave (for caregivers)
- Washington has Paid Family & Medical Leave.
Who’s eligible? All employees who have worked at least 820 hours during their qualifying period (normally, the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters or, if that does not get you to the required 820 hours, the last four completed calendar quarters immediately preceding the application for leave.)
Who can be cared for? A family member with a serious health condition, or leave can be used when your own serious health condition prevents you from working. Family member includes a child, parent (or spouse's parent), spouse, domestic partner, grandchild, grandparent (or spouse's grandparent), sibling, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, or someone who has an expectation to rely on you for care.
How much time is given? Up to 12 weeks. Up to 16 weeks of combined medical and family leave if you have more than one qualifying event in the same claim year.
How much is paid? The amount of benefits paid is calculated based on the individual’s average weekly wage, with a maximum payment of $1,327/week (2022). This maximum limit is adjusted annually to 90% of the state average weekly wage.
How do I apply? Online or with a paper application requested from paidleave@esd.wa.gov or by phone at (833) 717-2273
For more information: https://paidleave.wa.gov/
State Paid Sick Leave (for self)
- Employers in Washington State are required to provide paid sick leave to most employees. Earned paid sick leave may be used for a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition or if you need a medical diagnosis or preventative medical care. It can also be used if certain family members need care for a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition, or need a medical diagnosis or preventative medical care. For more information, visit https://www.lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/leave/paid-sick-leave/
- Some states have kinship laws that allow someone to use their sick leave to care for a child. The Washington Family Care Act allows employees to take any paid leave offered by their employer to provide treatment or supervision for a child with a health condition, or to care for a qualifying family member with a serious or emergency health condition. For more information, visit https://lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/leave/family-care-act
State Paid General Leave (for any reason)
- Some states provide general paid leave. Washington does not currently have a general leave law.
State Bone Marrow Donation Leave
- Washington law provides state employees with up to 5 days of paid leave in a two-year period. The leave cannot be charged against sick leave or annual leave.
County & Local Leave
- The cities and counties listed below have additional leave laws. Check with your local government to see if there are leave laws where you live or work.
Workplace Leave Policies or Employment Contracts
- Everyone’s situation is different. Check your employee handbook, your workplace policies, and/or your employment contract (if you have one) to see whether you are eligible to take paid or unpaid time off from work.
More Information
- For more information about leave laws in each state, see our chart on taking time off from work.
- For more employment resources, visit Triage Cancer's Work & Cancer Topics Page.
Estate Planning
Triage Cancer's free State-Specific Estate Planning Toolkit includes information about estate planning in general, and information about Washington estate planning documents, and the specific forms you need.
- Triage Cancer Quick Guide to Estate Planning
- Triage Cancer Checklist: Getting Organized
- Triage Cancer Quick Guide to Advance Health Care Directives
- State Laws on Creating Wills, Remote Execution of Estate Planning Documents, & Funeral Designations
- Washington Law Help: Wills
- Washington Wills Principals
- More Estate Planning Resources
Finances
For information on financial assistance resources, you can visit the Financial Assistance Resources module at CancerFinances.org. You can then pick from the different categories of financial assistance, to find organizations that may provide financial help to you. Think creatively. For example, if you cannot find anything to help with your medical bills, you may qualify for utility assistance and shift the money you had dedicated to utilities to your medical bills.
- For assistance with managing your finances, including budgeting and dealing with creditors, visit the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.
- Bankruptcy may be an effective way to eliminate medical debt, credit card debt, and/or other types of debts. Learn about filing for bankruptcy for free in Washington, and visit Triage Cancer's Quick Guide to Bankruptcy.
- Visit Triage Cancer's Navigating Finances Topics Page and CancerFinances.org for more information about ways to manage your finances.
Health Care
Health Insurance Information
- To find general information about health insurance and other types of insurance offered in your state, as well as to learn more about specific insurance companies, agents, or brokers, visit the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner website, or call 800.562.6900.
- For more information and resources on health insurance, visit Triage Cancer's Health Insurance Topics Page.
Health Insurance Options
Marketplace
- For information about options for buying health insurance from private insurance companies, as well as whether you are eligible for marketplace financial assistance, visit the Washington HealthPlanFinder website, or call 855.923.4633 or 855.627.9604.
COBRA
- COBRA provides a way for workers and their families to temporarily maintain their employer-provided health insurance during situations such as job loss or a reduction in hours worked. If you have questions about COBRA, visit the Employee Benefits Security Administration website or call 866.444.3272.
State COBRA
- For information about your state's COBRA law related to maintaining employer-provided health insurance during situations such as job loss or a reduction in hours worked, as well as information about how your state's law works with federal COBRA, visit the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner website, or call 800.562.6900.
Children's Health Insurance
- Visit this site to learn about the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which provides low-cost health coverage to children in families that earn too much money to be eligible for Medicaid.
- Visit InsureKidsNow.gov to learn about free or low-cost health and dental insurance coverage options for kids and teens.
More Insurance Information
- For more information and resources on health insurance, visit Triage Cancer's Health Insurance Topics Page.
Health Insurance Appeals
- To apply for an Independent Medical Review (an external appeal of a health plan denial) or to file a Consumer Complaint about your health plan, visit the Office of the Insurance Commissioner.
- If your health insurance company has denied coverage for your care, you can appeal that decision. The process depends on the type of health insurance that you have. Visit the Health Insurance Appeals module on CancerFinances.org to learn more about appeals.
- If you have private health insurance (e.g., through an employer or the Marketplace), you can also file an external appeal with an entity outside of your insurance company, to see if the insurance company is required to cover your care. The external review process is either handled by the state’s insurance agency or the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Visit our Chart of State Laws on Health Insurance Coverage & Navigation to see who runs the external appeals process in your state.
Medicare
- Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older, certain younger people with disabilities, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease or ALS. For information about Medicare, to create a personal account where you can view your Medicare information, and to learn about plan options, visit Medicare.gov, or call 800.MEDICARE (800.633.4227)
- Download a copy of Medicare's handbook, “Medicare & You.”
- For help navigating Medicare, contact the Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA), 800.562.6900.
- For more information, visit Triage Cancer's Medicare Topics Page.
Medicaid
- Medicaid provides free or low-cost health coverage to eligible individuals, including people with low-incomes, families, chidlren, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities. Each state has its own rules for eligibility. Read Triage Cancer's Quick Guide to Medicaid to learn more.
- States have the option to expand Medicaid eligibility to individuals with incomes at or below 138% of the Federal Poverty Level. Visit Triage Cancer's Guide to Medicaid Expansion to see whether your state has expanded Medicaid.
- Visit this site to see if you are eligible for Medicaid in your state.
- Visit this site for information about how to apply for Medicaid in your state.
- Visit this site to learn more about Medicaid benefits in your state.
Health Insurance Premium Payment Program (HIPP)
- The HIPP program can help pay your group health insurance premium (e.g., COBRA) if you are eligible for Medicaid. For more information, visit the HIPP program website, or call 800.562.3022, ext. 15473.
Early & Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, & Treatment (EPSDT)
- The EPSDT benefit is a Medicaid benefit available to individuals under the age of 21.
- States are required to provide comprehensive services needed to correct and ameliorate health conditions, including:
- Early: Assess and identify problems early, starting at birth
- Periodic: Check children’s health at periodic, age-appropriate intervals in comprehensive well-child visits, including health education
- Screening: Provide physical, dental, mental, developmental, hearing, vision, and other screening or laboratory tests to detect potential problems
- Diagnosis: Perform diagnostic tests and assessments to follow up when a risk is identified during screening and examinations
- Treatment: Control, correct, or ameliorate any problems that are found
- States are required to provide any additional health care services that are coverable under the federal Medicaid program and found to be medically necessary to treat, correct or reduce illnesses and conditions discovered regardless of whether the service is covered in a state's Medicaid plan. State Medicaid agencies are required to:
- Inform all Medicaid-eligible individuals under age 21 that EPSDT services are available and of the need for age-appropriate immunizations;
- Offer and provide, if requested and necessary, assistance with transportation to medical care.
- Offer and provide, if requested and necessary, assistance with scheduling appointments for EPSDT visits and services.
- Learn more about your state's program.
Children's Health Insurance
- Visit this site to learn about the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which provides low-cost health coverage to children in families that earn too much money to be eligible for Medicaid.
- Visit InsureKidsNow.gov to learn about free or low-cost health and dental insurance coverage options for kids and teens.
In-Home Support Services (IHSS)
- Visit this site for information about a Medicaid program that helps seniors and people with disabilities to stay in their homes, by providing in-home caregiving services, such as help with activities of daily living, household chores, grocery shopping, etc. Some states allow family members to get paid as caregivers.
More Medicaid Resources
- For more information, visit Triage Cancer Medicaid Topics Page.
Free or Low-Cost Health Care
- For a list of Hill-Burton Federally Funded Health Centers that are obligated to provide free or reduced-cost health care, visit the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) website.
- Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) are community-based health care providers that provide primary care services in underserved areas. To search for an FQHC in your state, use the Find a Health Center tool on the HRSA website.
- To find a community clinic in your area: screenings and services in your area, visit the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics website.
- The National Breast & Cervical Cancer Treatment Program (NBCCEDP) provides breast and cervical cancer screenings and diagnostic services to women who have low incomes and are uninsured or underinsured. For more information about screenings and services in your area, use the CDC search tool.
- The Breast & Cervical Cancer Treatment Program (BCCTP) provides cancer treatment benefits to eligible low-income individuals diagnosed with breast and/or cervical cancer.
Health Care Programs & Laws
Women's Health & Cancer Rights Act (WHCRA)
- WHCRA provides protections for individuals who have had a mastectomy. For more information, visit the Employee Benefits Security Administration website.
Privacy
- HIPAA sets rules about health information privacy. To learn more, read this document on sharing health information with family members and friends.
- For more information about HIPAA and to file a HIPAA complaint, visit the Department of Health & Human Services website.
- To learn about making educated disclosure decisions, visit Triage Cancer's Quick Guide to Disclosure, Privacy, & Medical Certification Forms.
State Clinical Trials Law
- Wash. Admin Code. § 284-43-5420
- Who must cover the costs? Insurance Carriers
- What must be covered? Routine patient costs for insureds who participate in Phase I, Phase II, Phase III, or Phase IV clinical trials conducted for the prevention, detection, or treatment of cancer or other life-threatening diseases
- Qualifying Trials: The clinical trial must be funded or approved by: (1) the NIH, (2) the U.S. Dept. of Defense or Veterans Affairs, (3) an IRB of a Washington state institution that has a multiple project assurance contract, or (4) a qualified research entity that meets the NIH’s criteria for support grant eligibility.
(Current as of 8/2022)
More Health Insurance Resources
- For more information and resources on health insurance, visit Triage Cancer's Health Insurance Topics Page.
Housing
- For more information about state fair housing laws, or if you think you have experienced housing discrimination, visit the Washington State Human Rights Commission website.
- For more information, visit our Cancer Finances module on Housing Rights & Financial Help.
Legal Assistance
- For more information on ways to find legal assistance and what to consider before choosing a lawyer, read Triage Cancer's Quick Guide to Legal Assistance.
- If you are having difficulty finding a lawyer in your area, you can use the American Bar Association's Lawyer Referral Directory to search for your state and local bar associations. In some states or counties, these bar associations provide referrals to free or low-cost services for individuals with cancer.
- Lawhelp.org provides a search feature for free legal aid programs, legal information, and legal forms related to your state.
- For information about Medical-Legal Partnership programs in your state, visit the American Bar Association's Medical-Legal Partnership Locator.
State Cancer Information
- Your state's Comprehensive Cancer Control Program works to identify problems and develop solutions for health equity in cancer care and survivorship.
- To see your state's strategic plan for reducing the burden of cancer in your state, visit the state Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan.
- The National Cancer Institute (NCI) gathers data related to a state's cancer screening & risk factors, incidence, and mortality.
Transportation
- Local transit systems may provide free or discounted rates for low-income individuals and families. Some cities also offer bus passes, vouchers for taxi or ride-sharing services, or shuttle services for patients traveling to cancer treatments.
- Dial 211 for assistance.