AP sources: Senate weighs long-term care program

[TomCADem]

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Senate health care legislation expected this week is likely to include a new long-term care insurance program to help the elderly and the disabled avoid going into nursing homes, Democratic officials say.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., is expected to incorporate the voluntary program in legislation to be unveiled as early as Wednesday, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because a final decision has not been made.

Known as the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act, or CLASS Act, the program was a top priority for the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass. It would begin to close a gap in the social safety net that's received little attention in the health care debate.

Fiscal conservatives and government economists have questioned whether the program would be financially sustainable over the long run, and insurance companies are lobbying to strip it from the health care bill.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jlMpJGn28kqCcgU-aGcYE_ZHW-ywD9C1HQP01

[thereismore]

1. Another great one from Sen. Kennedy. nt

[msongs]

2. home care and hospice are much nicer AND much less costly than "homes" or hospitals nt

[glinda]

3. We shell out around $250 every three months for a stupid plan which will be

totally inadequate.

[Cass]

4. This is very good news. K & R!

[WriteDown]

5. Math doesn't work here...

Nursing home costs 70K per year per article. Home attendant costs 29$ per hour. Assuming that is all hours of the year, that comes to $253,344.00 per year. Even assuming that is just business hours with no weekends then it comes to $84,448.00 per year.

[groundloop]

6. $60,320

$29 X 40 X 52 = $60,320.

In any case, my nitpicking asided, this sounds like a great idea. I wonder how the repugs and teabaggers are going to spin this.

[WriteDown]

7. You're right...

Must've mistyped a digit there. :) I would assume you'd need more than 40 hours a week though in a lot of cases.

[KamaAina]

8. Like this

Critics' concerns got validation recently from a report by Medicare economists who are expert in long-range cost estimates. In a report issued last weekend, they said a voluntary insurance program is likely to attract people who expect they'll need the coverage. Without taxpayer subsidies, premiums would keep going up, discouraging healthy people from signing up and triggering an "insurance death spiral."

"Individuals with health problems or who anticipate a greater risk of functional limitation would be more likely to participate than those in better-than-average health," the report said. "There is a significant risk that the problem ... would make the CLASS program unsustainable."

So they're for it, as long as no one actually uses it. Just like any other kind of insurance. :eyes:

[KamaAina]

9. Also of note is the Community First Choice Option

It's a provision found in the HELP Committe version, but not the Finance version, that would let states use more Medicaid money to provide home- and community-based services. As things stand now, people are often forced into nursing homes simply because nursing home care is an entitlementm, not optional. And 20-25% of nursing home residents are people under age 65 who have significant disabilities.

We call this "institutional bias". At its extreme, it has led to non-disabled people having to move into the nursing home with their spouses because it the only way they can stay together. Also note that domestic partnerships -- unlike marriage -- can be dissolved if the partners are no longer living together, such as when one enters an institution: reason No. 44568 why domestic partnersghips, civil unions, etc. aren't sufficient.

edit: italics

[optimator]

10. I doubt it will survive

fiscal conservatives i.e. dumb fucks, make up about 90% of the Senate