Washington Health Care Association

What Washington Health Care Association does

Washington Health Care Association (WHCA) is a nonprofit trade association founded in 1985 and headquartered in Tumwater, Washington, that represents licensed boarding homes, adult family homes, skilled nursing facilities, and business professionals serving the long-term care sector in Washington State. The association claims representation of over 550 facilities — approximately 75% of all assisted living and skilled nursing providers in the state — collectively serving 43,000 residents daily through 25,000 employees. WHCA's core offerings span membership services (provider and associate business tiers), regulatory support (survey/inspection navigation, advocacy with DSHS, RCS, and DOH), government affairs and political action through WHCA-PAC, education and training programs meeting state-approved requirements (LEAD, ALCA, MedTechU, ReadyCNA, Learning Hub), group purchasing via Incite, workers' compensation coverage through the Group Retro program (currently suspended for evaluation), and CMP grant application support.

WHCA's revenue model combines bed-count-based subscription dues for providers ($4.55/bed/month for assisted living plus $0.25/bed/month legal action fees; $6.27/bed/month for skilled nursing plus $0.25/bed/month legal action fees), tiered associate business dues ($600-$1,200/year), event registrations (Annual Convention, Fall Conference with Idaho Health Care Association, Virtual Winter Symposium), training program fees, and referral/affiliate revenue from Preferred Partners (ERNWest, Ballard Spahr Lane Powell, Propel Insurance) and Incite. Distribution is primarily domestic (Washington State only) via self-service member and education portals, in-person events, and direct member communications including LTC Connections, the Survey & Regulatory Update, Advocacy Exchange, and Capitol Update newsletters. Technology stack consists of conventional association management systems, a member portal, and the 2024-launched Learning Hub, with no documented AI/ML capabilities or public APIs.

Operationally, WHCA runs with a small professional staff of roughly 12 personnel (CEO Carma Matti-Jackson plus two EVPs, directors, and coordinators across regulatory, communications, finance, education, events, and government relations functions), governed by a Board of Directors reviewed for new memberships. The association is automatically affiliated with national bodies (AHCA, NCAL, Argentum) and works directly with Washington state agencies (DSHS/RCS, DOH) and CMS at the federal level.

Name

Washington Health Care Association

Legal name

Washington Health Care Association

Website

https://whca.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Washington Health Care Association is a nonprofit trade association founded in 1985 that represents over 550 assisted living and skilled nursing facilities in Washington State, providing regulatory support, advocacy, education, and member services to long-term care providers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Trade Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Health & Health Equity Organizations (BPAGACAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Patient Advocacy, Navigation & Access to Care (BPAGACAH), Hospitals, Clinics & Charitable Healthcare Providers (BPAGACAB)

Keywords

• Skilled nursing facilities
• Long-term care advocacy
• Healthcare association membership
• Group purchasing organization
• Nursing facility regulation

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues - Assisted Living: Association dues of $4.55 per licensed bed per month plus $0.25 per licensed bed per month legal action fees for licensed boarding homes and adult family homes.
2. Membership Dues - Skilled Nursing: Association dues of $6.27 per licensed bed per month plus $0.25 per licensed bed per month legal action fees for licensed skilled nursing facilities.
3. Membership Dues - Associate Business: Annual dues of $1,200 per year for standard business members, or $600 per year for smaller businesses (fewer than 25 employees nationally or less than $4M in annual revenues).
4. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from Annual Convention, Fall Conference, Virtual Winter Symposium, and various webinars and workshops with member and non-member pricing tiers.
5. Group Purchasing Program: Partnership with Incite provides group purchasing benefits for dining options, medical supplies, housekeeping supplies with competitive pricing for members.
6. Group Retro (Workers' Compensation): WHCA Group Retro (GRRP) provides cost-effective group coverage for workers' compensation claims through ERNWest. Currently suspended for evaluation as of February 2025.
7. WHCA-PAC Contributions: Political action committee receives contributions from members to support advocacy efforts and legislative engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Washington Health Care Association is a nonprofit trade association that represents licensed boarding homes, skilled nursing facilities, and assisted living providers in Washington state. It delivers advocacy before state regulators and legislators, regulatory compliance support, workforce education and certification programs (e.g., MedTechU, LEAD, ALCA, ReadyCNA, Learning Hub), and a group purchasing program (MedGroup) that leverages collective member buying power to reduce operating costs.

Product overview

Washington Health Care Association is a nonprofit trade association serving long-term care facilities in Washington State. Rather than a single technology product, WHCA offers a portfolio of membership-based services including advocacy representation, regulatory consultation, education and training programs, group purchasing benefits, and member resources. Key educational products include MedTechU (15-hour medication technician training), the LEAD Executive Training Program (28-hour virtual administrator training), the Assisted Living Care Academy (17 CEU virtual workshop), ReadyCNA (40-hour nursing assistant training via Cinematic Health partnership), and the 2024-launched Learning Hub for self-paced courses. WHCA also provides advocacy services through its government relations team and WHCA-PAC, regulatory support for survey/inspection navigation, group purchasing through Incite, workers' compensation coverage through Group Retro/ERNWest, and CMP grant application assistance. The association hosts annual events including the May Convention, September Fall Conference (with Idaho Health Care Association), and Virtual Winter Symposium. WHCA maintains member-only portals for directory access, event registration, and resource access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WHCA-PAC: Political action committee serving the interests of assisted living and skilled nursing facilities in Washington State.
• MedTechU
• LTC Connections
• ReadyCNA
• LEAD Assisted Living Executive Training Program
• Assisted Living Care Academy (ALCA)

Products and services

• Facility Membership Annual facility-level membership entitling providers to advocacy, regulatory updates, education access, event participation, and member pricing on group purchasing and training.
• Business/Professional Membership Membership tier for healthcare vendors, consultants, attorneys, and other professionals serving the long-term care sector, providing networking, event access, and sector visibility.
• MedGroup (Group Purchasing Program) Group purchasing organization that aggregates member facility buying volume to negotiate pricing on supplies, services, and other operating inputs for member facilities.
• MedTechU (Medication Technician Training) Training program for medication technicians working in member skilled nursing and assisted living facilities.
• LEAD (Leadership Program) Leadership development program for current and emerging administrators and managers in member long-term care facilities.
• ALCA (Assisted Living Education/Certification) Training and certification program targeted at assisted living community staff for required Washington state competencies.
• ReadyCNA (CNA Certification Prep) Preparation and certification program for Certified Nursing Assistants working in member skilled nursing and assisted living facilities.
• Learning Hub (Online Training Platform) Online learning management platform delivering on-demand courses, certifications, and compliance training to member facility staff.
• Regulatory Advocacy & Compliance Support State-level advocacy before the Washington legislature, Department of Social and Health Services, and other regulators, plus compliance updates and member support on survey and regulatory matters.
• Annual Conference & Events Annual convention and education events providing continuing education, peer networking, and exhibit/sponsorship opportunities for member operators and allied business members.

Quantifiable outcome

• 43,000 frail, elderly, or disabled Washingtonians receive care daily from member facilities
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, preferred and minor.

• American Health Care Association (AHCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHCA members automatically become members of AHCA, gaining access to online training, tools, and resources including LTC Trend Tracker. This national partnership is critical for addressing federal issues affecting skilled nursing facilities and assisted living.
• National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssisted living facility members automatically receive NCAL benefits including access to ahcancalED training resources and national advocacy representation.
• ArgentumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHCA is a state partner of Argentum, the national association exclusively dedicated to supporting professionally managed, resident-centered senior living communities. WHCA actively engages with Argentum for national assisted living advocacy.
• Idaho Health Care Association (IHCA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHCA holds its annual Fall Conference jointly with IHCA, as many provider members have facilities in both states and AB members serve facilities across the region. This partnership maximizes networking and education value for cross-border providers.
• ERNWestcoreOthersPreferred Partner providing professional third-party claims administration for WHCA's Group Retro (GRRP) workers' compensation program. ERNWest offers loss prevention programs and on-site safety education with CEUs.
• Propel InsurancepreferredOthersPreferred Partner providing insurance services to WHCA member facilities.
• Ballard Spahr Lane PowellpreferredOthersPreferred Partner law firm providing legal services and support to WHCA members.
• IncitecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWHCA partners with Incite for group purchasing, bringing competitive pricing for dining options, medical supplies, housekeeping supplies, and more to member facilities to strengthen their bottom line.
• Cinematic Health (ReadyCNA)coreTechnology or IntegrationWHCA partnered with Cinematic Health to offer ReadyCNA - a story-driven, video-based on-demand nursing assistant training program approved by Washington State Board of Nursing. Proven results show Employer NPS of 85 and 83% of employers believe ReadyCNA-trained CNAs are less likely to leave.
• National Council for Activity Professionals (NCCAP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHCA promotes NCCAP's Activity Director Certification (ADC) course, offering AHCA members a $200 discount on the $999 regular price. Includes national certification exam and two-year credential recognition.
• LeadingAge WAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHCA joined with LeadingAge WA to send joint letters to fiscal committees opposing Medicaid funding cuts (January 23, 2026), demonstrating coalition advocacy on critical funding issues.
• Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS)coreOthersWHCA works with DSHS and its Residential Care Services (RCS) division on regulatory matters, policy development, and provider training certification for assisted living facilities.
• Washington State Department of Health (DOH)coreOthersWHCA collaborates with DOH on skilled nursing continuing education certification and regulatory matters affecting long-term care facilities.
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)coreOthersCMS imposes Civil Monetary Penalty (CMP) grants against skilled nursing facilities, with portions reinvested to support quality improvement projects. WHCA provides hands-on support for members applying for CMP grants.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL): AHCA's assisted living-focused national affiliate that WHCA's AL members automatically join. Provides national-level assisted living advocacy and training resources, complementing WHCA's state-level work.
• LeadingAge (National): National association of nonprofit aging services providers, parent of LeadingAge Washington. Competes with WHCA for nonprofit/mission-driven member facilities and sets national policy priorities that influence Washington state dynamics.
• American Health Care Association: National federation of which WHCA is a state affiliate. Provides federal advocacy, ahcancalED training, and LTC Trend Tracker to all WHCA members automatically; functions as a higher-level incumbent with broader scope than any single state association.

Direct peers

• Oregon Health Care Association: Oregon's statewide trade association for skilled nursing and assisted living providers. Mirrors WHCA's mission, dues structure, and advocacy scope, serving as the most natural state-level peer in the Pacific Northwest.
• LeadingAge Washington: Washington's nonprofit and faith-based aging services association. Competes with WHCA for overlapping provider members while partnering on Medicaid funding advocacy, making it a directly comparable association operating in WHCA's exact geography.
• Idaho Health Care Association: State-level nonprofit trade association representing Idaho long-term care providers, WHCA's most direct peer. Co-hosts WHCA's Fall Conference and shares many multi-state operator members, making it the closest functional comparable in structure, mission, and revenue model.

Others

• Argentum: National trade association for professionally managed senior living communities of which WHCA is a state partner. Offers national advocacy, research, and senior living resources that overlap with WHCA's assisted living segment.

Regional players

• Texas Health Care Association: Large state-level trade association representing Texas skilled nursing and assisted living providers. Comparable in mission and member types to WHCA but operates in a much larger and structurally different long-term care market.
• Florida Health Care Association: Florida's statewide long-term care association, one of the largest state peers by member count. Highly comparable structure and revenue model but serves a different state regulatory regime than WHCA.
• California Assisted Living Association: State-level assisted living association in California, the largest U.S. long-term care market. Comparable trade association structure and advocacy mission but operates in a different regulatory and reimbursement environment than Washington.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/whcaltc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/washington-health-care-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/whcacares

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Washington Health Care Association