The Fight is on
for Long Term Services and Supports
in Health Care Reform

Stand up for the
Community First Choice Option and the CLASS Plan

The health care reform plans from the five Congressional committees developing health care reform legislation have all now been released. And now begins the real fight for what stays in, gets added or taken out of those plans.

What is the Community First Choice (CFC) Option?

The CFC option was proposed by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) as a way to get the key provisions of the Community Choice Act in the health care reform bill. The option would encourage states to provide Medicaid home and community based attendant services (rather than require them as the CCA would do). The CFC option would be a major step in helping to end Medicaid's institutional bias.

What is Happening with the CFC Option?

In the past few weeks, there have been serious discussions with the Obama Administration and in Congress about improved home and community based services. Disability advocates have held productive meetings with White House officials and Congressional leaders to press for including the CFC option in the health care reform bill.

The disability community is also working hard to get incentives for states to choose the CFC option through increased federal Medicaid payments. Right now the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is figuring out how much the increased federal Medicaid payments will cost. Once they release their cost analysis in the next week or so, the CFC option can be included as an amendment to the health care reform legislation in either the House or Senate or both.

But whether or not the CFC option gets included is up to us!

What is the CLASS plan?

The Class Plan (formerly called the CLASS Act) would create a national voluntary long term care insurance program. It was developed to help people better prepare for their long term care needs and to help take pressure off of the Medicaid program.

What is Happening with the CLASS Plan?

The CLASS Plan is in the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee's version of the health care reform bill. It has also gained approval from the House Energy and Commerce Committee and from Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

Unfortunately, the insurance industry has recently launched a full scale attack on the CLASS plan (despite the fact that it will reduce the federal deficit by $58 billion). According to the American Council of Life Insurers, the CLASS Act will not adequately protect Americans who are in need of long term care, citing the high costs of nursing home care and round-the-clock home health care services as evidence.

By focusing on these extreme ends of long term care, the industry is mischaracterizing the typical needs of most people with disabilities and older Americans. What they most need is some assistance with things like getting up the stairs or getting dressed so that they can stay at home and not enter nursing homes or obtain full time care before they truly need it. The CLASS plan's cash benefit of about $27,000 per year can go a long way to meeting this need by paying for things like ramps and railings or a few hours a day of a home health worker.

Its time to take on the insurance industry and set the record straight on our long term care needs!

Take Action

Call your Senators and Representative.

Or

Send a fax to your Senators and Representative. To get their fax numbers, click here and then enter your zip code to locate your elected officials.

Talking Points

1. Please support both the CLASS Plan and the Community First Choice Option.
2. Long Term Services and Supports must be included in health care reform.
3. People with disabilities and older Americans should be able to live in the community and not be forced into nursing homes.

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