Kaiser Family Foundation Briefing on Long-term Care
“…Today, approximately 10 million Americans need long-term services and supports, ranging from having an aide visit for a few hours a week to living in a nursing home with around-the-clock care. As America ages, that number is rising steadily. By 2020, it’s expected that 15 million Americans will need some kind of long-term care.
Yet today, people who want to plan for the possibility that they could be in a situation like Michael’s often have few good options. You can pay out of pocket, but at $75,000 a year or more for a nursing home or about $18,000 a year for 20 hours a week of home care, money can run out fast. You can purchase private long-term care insurance, but some insurers have stopped offering these plans and the price puts it out of reach for many Americans. If you qualify for Medicaid, you can get coverage that way, but many people aren’t eligible until virtually all their savings are exhausted.
Americans need better choices. We know that one out of six people who reach the age of 65 will spend more than $100,000 on long-term care. If nothing changes, we will see more and more of them either forced into a nursing home against their wishes or forced to clean out their savings to afford the long-term services and supports they need.
That’s where the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports or CLASS program comes in. President Obama and I were both long-time supporters of this program before it was included in the Affordable Care Act. And we continue to believe it has the potential to make a huge difference in the lives of working families…”
- From a speech by Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, February 7, 2011
From The SCAN Foundation (2.8.2011):
February 8, 2011
Dear Colleagues,
On Monday, February 7, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius delivered a major policy speech heralding the Community Living Assistance Supports and Services (CLASS) provision in health reform and the Administration's commitment to its successful implementation.
In her comments, the secretary clearly articulated why Americans must have affordable and accessible means to financially prepare for the real possibility of needing assistance when growing older or experiencing a disability.
Please read the secretary's remarks by clicking here, or to watch the video click here.
To read my full message on the meeting, please visit The SCAN Foundation Web site by clicking here.
Regards,
Bruce Chernof
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