Two of the three leading health reform proposals under consideration in Congress include provisions to establish a national voluntary insurance program for purchasing community living supports and services, referred to as the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act. The proposed program would allow for voluntary pre-financing of long-term care through payroll deductions and then provide a cash benefit to purchase services. Proposals also include other provisions to improve Medicaid long-term services and supports (LTSS) in the community.

At 9:30 a.m. EDT on Oct. 20, the Kaiser Family Foundation will host a briefing to examine this little-noticed but major proposal to change the way that the U.S. pays for long-term care. The briefing, “The Sleeper in Health Reform: Long-Term Care and The CLASS Act,” will describe how the program would work, how it would be financed and what it could mean for people who require long-term services and supports. The briefing also will include discussion of home and community-based services and long-term care financing options more generally.

The briefing will start with an overview of long-term services and supports and reform, with a focus on the elements of the proposed CLASS program from:

• Judy Feder, Professor of Public Policy, Georgetown Public Policy Institute and Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress;
• Connie Garner, Policy Director for Disability and Special Populations, U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee; and
• Paul N. Van de Water, Senior Fellow, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

That will be followed by perspectives on the significance of reform and its potential impact from:

• Richard Frank, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Disability, Aging and Long-Term Care Policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services;
• Nora Super, Director, Federal Government Relations, Health and Long-Term Care, AARP
• Larry Minnix, President & CEO, American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA)
• Marty Ford, Director of Legal Advocacy for the Disability Policy Collaboration, a partnership of UCP and The Arc.
  

Diane Rowland, Executive Vice-President, Kaiser Family Foundation and Executive Director, Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, will serve as moderator.

WHEN:

Tuesday, October 20, 2009
9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. ET
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WHERE:

Kaiser Family Foundation Office
1330 G Street, NW, Washington, DC (one block west of Metro Center)


REGISTRATION:

Please RSVP to Tiffany Ford Fields or call 202-347-5270.


CONTACT:

For further information, please email Chris Lee or call 202-347-5270.