NCOA: House Vote To Repeal CLASS Shows Congress Is Out Of Touch

(National Council on Aging)
February 2, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC– [Excerpt provided by Inclusion Daily Express)] The U.S. House of Representatives voted today to repeal the CLASS program, without offering any alternative to address the growing long-term care crisis among middle-class Americans.

CLASS, or the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports program is a voluntary, fiscally responsible, long-term care insurance program that would help address the serious, growing long-term care needs of seniors, individuals with disabilities, caregivers, and families. CLASS was signed into law as part of the health reform Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Millions of Americans are faced with a broken system that requires them to spend down their life savings into poverty before receiving needed long-term coverage, forces them prematurely into expensive nursing homes, and imposes enormous financial, emotional, and physical burdens on family caregivers, particularly women. The urgency to address these issues is growing, as almost 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 every day, and the fastest-growing segment of our population — those over age 85 — have the greatest need for these services.

For over two decades, Congress debated how to address long-term care before passing the CLASS Act last year. CLASS would encourage personal responsibility by providing a cash benefit to people needing care at home through voluntary premiums and, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), would save Medicaid dollars.

Entire article:
House Vote to Repeal CLASS Shows Congress is Out of Touch with the Struggles of Middle-Class Americans
http://tinyurl.com/ide0202121a
Related:
Rep. Dennis Kucinich: “Protecting Our Seniors Should Be Our First Priority” (Huffington Post)
http://tinyurl.com/ide0202121b
Sen. Jay Rockefeller: “CLASS Act repeal would help no one” (Politico)
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0212/72343.html
CLASS Act (FactCheck.org)
http://www.factcheck.org/2010/06/class-act/