National Council on Aging's Firman Lauds CLASS Act as Part of House Health Care Bill

National Council on Aging's Firman Lauds CLASS Act as Part of House Health
Care Bill

- Calls on Congress to Address Long Term Care in Health Care Reform -

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- At a briefing by the Leadership
Council of Aging Organizations today in Washington, DC, James Firman,
President of the National Council on Aging (NCOA), applauded the House for
making the CLASS Act (Community Living Assistance Services and Supports) part
of its Affordable Health Care for America Act and urged the Senate to include
the CLASS Act and other important long-term care provisions in its final
package as well.

Firman called long-term care, "the primary unmet health need for seniors."

"Without strong provisions addressing long-term care," he said, "health care
reform will not be truly comprehensive and meaningful. Our current system
forces people into institutions inappropriately, requires many middle class
families to spend-down into poverty before receiving the help they need, and
doesn't support family caregivers adequately."

Firman said NCOA supports the CLASS Act, and noted, "We are in good company."
More than 130 national organizations have signed on to support the provision.
And a survey in late June by Lake Research Partners found that almost eight
out of ten Americans (79%) say they would be more likely to support a health
reform proposal that includes improved coverage for home and community-based
long-term care services.

A fiscally sound proposal, the CLASS Act promotes independence by helping
seniors and people with disabilities pay for care in their own homes rather
than going prematurely into a nursing home to obtain care covered by Medicaid.
The Act promotes consumer choice, because recipients can use the cash
benefits as they see fit, controlling what services they get, how, and from
whom.

Other important provisions in the House bill increase funding for family
caregiver support programs and strengthen programs for direct care workers.
There are also important provisions in the Senate Finance Committee
legislation, but not in the House bill that advance home and community-based
services. The Community First Choice provisions would enable more Medicaid
beneficiaries to remain in their communities by providing a state plan option
for community-based attendant supports and services to individuals with
disabilities.

The Finance bill also includes language from the Home and Community Balanced
Incentives Act, which would similarly provide ways to increase access to home
and community-based services through a targeted increase in the federal
Medicaid match for states that adopt best practices shown to have increased
institutional diversion. Furthermore, the bill includes important protection
against spousal impoverishment in Medicaid programs by requiring states to
apply the same rules currently applied to spouses of Medicaid nursing home
residents. The Elder Justice Act, also part of the Finance offering,
represents the first national response to the growing epidemic of elder abuse.
NCOA hopes that these important provisions are included in the merged Senate
bill, and ultimately the final health care package.

In this debate, women are especially at risk. With longer life expectancies,
higher rates of disability and chronic health problems, and lower incomes on
average than men, millions of women cannot afford long term care and would
benefit from the CLASS Act and other long term care provisions.

These policies also support families by helping people with disabilities
continue to work, and employers by reducing absenteeism among the fast-growing
pool of employees caring for a disabled family member. It can also relieve
some of the pressure on employers to contribute to the cost of long-term care
insurance.

About NCOA
The National Council on Aging is a nonprofit service and advocacy organization
headquartered in Washington, DC. NCOA is a national voice for older
Americans--especially those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged--and the
community organizations that serve them. It brings together nonprofit
organizations, businesses, and government to develop creative solutions that
improve the lives of all older adults. NCOA works with thousands of
organizations across the country to help seniors find jobs and benefits,
improve their health, live independently, and remain active in their
communities. For more information, visit www.ncoa.org.

SOURCE National Council on Aging

Elliott Walker, +1-917-846-6334, for NCOA