The CLASS Act (Community Living Assistance Services and Support Act) was created to reduce the strain on Medicaid by providing a voluntary, long term care insurance enrollment options for employees and encouraging people to plan for their own long term care needs. The CLASS Act never had much support in the senate and had survived an attempt to repeal it in 2011. The new commission’s responsibilities include developing a plan for the design, financing and implementation of a system ensuring access to long-term care services for all Americans. Members of the panel are to be appointed at the end of January and then have six months to make proposals to Congress.
Usually, the quickest way to kill an idea in Washington is to create a commission to study it and report back to Congress. Let’s hope that that isn’t the case here. What are your thoughts on the commission? Let me know at radio@agingoptions.com