Policy researchers and lawmakers have long recognized that long-term care is an important issue—there just has not been a consensus on how to address it. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Washington state has passed a first-in-the-nation bill establishing a long-term care insurance program for workers in the state. The bill attempts to offer at least a partial solution an issue that has been widely discussed but not addressed by most states: the costs associated with caring for an aging population.

The price tag of long-term care varies by individuals and their specific health needs, but estimates range from $25,000 to more than $300,000 per individual for long-term care costs in the U.S.

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