Every long-term care partnership policy must meet the standards for long-term care policies or contracts in chapters 48.83 and 48.85 RCW and this chapter, unless specifically provided otherwise.

(1) As used in WAC 284-83-400 through 284-83-420, "qualified long-term care partnership policy" or "partnership policy" means a long-term care policy that meets all of the following additional requirements:

(a) The policy was issued on or after January 1, 2012, or exchanged as provided in WAC 284-83-415 on or after January 1, 2012, and covers an insured who was a resident of this state or of another state that has entered into a reciprocal agreement with this state when coverage first became effective under the policy.

(b) The policy is a tax qualified long-term care insurance policy as defined in Section 7702B(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 7702B(b)).

(c) The policy provides at least the following levels of inflation protection:

(i) If the policy is sold to an individual who has not attained age sixty-one as of the date of purchase, the policy must provide automatic annual compounded inflation increases at a rate not less than three percent or automatic annual compounded inflation increases at a rate based on changes in the consumer price index.

(ii) If the policy is sold to an individual who has attained age sixty-one but has not attained age seventy-six as of the date of purchase, the policy must provide automatic simple inflation increases at a rate not less than three percent or automatic inflation increases at a rate based on changes in the consumer price index.

(iii) If the policy is sold to an individual who has attained age seventy-six as of the date of purchase, the policy may, but is not required to, provide automatic inflation increases at a rate based on changes in the consumer price index.

(iv) If the change in the consumer price index is a negative number for the time period in question, the carrier may not apply the change in the index to reduce the benefit payable under the partnership policy. However, the carrier may offset this negative number against the next annual increase in the consumer price index to reduce the automatic inflation increase which would otherwise occur during that year. If the negative consumer price index exceeds the next annual increase in the consumer price index, it may be offset against multiple annual increases, the net effect of which may never be less than zero.

(v) For purposes of this section, "consumer price index" means the consumer price index for all urban consumers, U.S. city average, all items, as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor.

(2) Issuers must file a long-term care insurance policy for approval for use as a partnership policy. The long-term care Partnership Policy Certification Form must be completed and accompany the request for approval. The form is available on the commissioner's website: www.insurance.wa.gov.

(3) Issuers requesting to make use of a previously approved policy form as a qualified state long-term care partnership policy must:

(a) Submit to the commissioner a Partnership Policy Certification Form signed by an officer of the company; and

(b) File for approval an amendatory rider or endorsement indicating the policy is partnership qualified.

(4) An issuer or its agent, soliciting or offering to sell a policy that is intended to qualify as a partnership policy, must provide to each prospective applicant a Partnership Program Notice found on the commissioner's website: www.insurance.wa.gov, outlining the requirements and benefits of a partnership policy. The Partnership Program Notice must be provided with the required outline of coverage.

(5) A partnership policy issued for delivery in Washington must be accompanied by a Partnership Status Disclosure Notice found on the commissioner's website: www.insurance.wa.gov, explaining the benefits associated with a partnership policy and indicating that at the time issued, the policy is a qualified Washington state long-term care insurance partnership policy. The Partnership Disclosure Notice must also include a statement indicating that by purchasing this partnership policy, the insured does not automatically qualify for medicaid.