ANCOR Co-sponsors National Call-In Days and Roll Call Ad Urging Congress to Complete Health Care Reform That Includes Long-Term Supports

Working together with a group of aging and disability national organizations, ANCOR joined in sponsoring a Roll Call Ad that calls on Congress to pass legislation now that includes The CLASS Act and other important improvements to expand and increase funding options for home and community supports and services. Other efforts included national call-in days to Congressional offices this week. ANCOR thanks all members who responded to the National Call-In alert this week. Read more!

Amendment Threatens CLASS Act in Senate Bill: Call Your Senator TODAY!

An amendment to the Senate healthcare bill proposed by Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) would strip the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act from final health reform legislation.A total of 51 votes are required to defeat any proposed amendment. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Peter Orszag, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, said discussions about the future of the CLASS Act are ongoing, and changes could be made to guarantee the program's long-term solvency. Use ANCOR's Action Center to call your Senators and ask them to make sure the CLASS Act remains in the final health reform bill and to oppose any amendment to strip it from the bill. The CLASS Act will help people to remain independent at home.
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CLASS Act Not a “Done Deal” in Senate Health Reform Proposal

ANCOR staff has been meeting with key Senate offices all this week to ensure the inclusion of the CLASS Act in the Senate health reform bill. Although the House bill includes the CLASS Act provisions, key Senators have been reluctant to include the CLASS Act as part of the merged Senate Finance and HELP committee bill.If you have not reached out to your Senators yet to support ANCOR’s efforts to get these provisions in the merged Senate bill, it’s not too late. Use ANCOR’s Action Alert to get word to your Senators that the CLASS Act must be in the final Senate bill.

Remember, the CLASS Act would 1) provide a new private source of funding for ANCOR providers of long term supports and services; 2) reduce federal deficit by 74 billion over 10 years; and 3) produce a savings to Medicaid of nearly 2 billion in first five years of implementation.

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CLASS Act and Community First Choice Option

Urgent! Contact Senators Critical to CLASS Act Inclusion in Merged Health Reform Bill

This week, Senators working on the merging of the Senate Finance and Senate HELP health care reform bills will be focusing on the CLASS Act. It is essential that ANCOR members who are constituents of the following key Senators call or fax their offices and tell them the CLASS Act MUST be included in the merged health care bill: Senators Reid (D-NV), Baucus (D-MT), Snowe (R-ME), Durbin (D-IL), Feingold (D-WI), Schumer (D-NY), Bingaman (D-NM), Nelson (D-NE), Dodd (D-CT), Harkin (D-IA), Mikulski (D-MD), and Whitehouse (D-RI), Warner (D-VA), Webb (D-VA), Landrieu (D-LA), Bayh (D-IN), Lincoln (D-AR), Pryor (D-AR), and Tim Johnson (D-SD). Use ANCOR’s online congressional directory to get contact information.

We must work on these Senators TODAY. Message: The CLASS Act MUST be included in the merged health care bill.

Over 270 national organizations support the CLASS Act. The CLASS Act would: 1) provide a new private source of funding for ANCOR providers of long term supports and services 2)reduce federal deficit by 74 billion over 10 years 3) produce a savings to Medicaid of nearly 2 billion in first five years of implementation. The CLASS Act is fiscally solvent for 75 years.

Call Jessica Sadowsky 703-535-7850 ext. 104 if you have any questions.

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Kaiser Brief on the Class Act Provisions in Health Reform

This Kaiser Family Foundation held a briefing yesterday examining the Class Act provisions in two leading health reform bills. The briefing included a summary of the measure and discussion by an expert panel. This enhanced webcast presentation includes the speakers' slides synced to the video of the briefing. A podcast is also available.

ANCOR urges you to call your Senators to encourage inclusion of the CLASS Act in final health reform legislation. Use ANCOR's online Congressional Directory for contact information. Read more!

House Ways and Means, Education and Labor, and Senate HELP Committees Pass Health Reform Bill Along Party Lines; Senate Finance Delays Consideration

The three House committees with jurisdiction over health care reform and the Senate HELP committee continued to move their health reform bills this week, while the Senate Finance committee continues to delay their mark up in order to continue bi-partisan negotiations. The House Education and Labor took their final vote this morning and approved 26-22 the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act (H.R. 3200). Ways and Means took their final vote on the bill at 1:16 a.m. today, more than 16 hours after the markup started Thursday morning. The House Energy and Commerce Committee also began its mark up on Thursday, but do not expect final votes until later next week. Ways and Means and Education and Labor has yet to include long term services and supports (see below) in their mark up.

The Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee passed its health reform bill by a 13-10 party-line vote Wednesday morning, leaving the Senate Finance Committee as the most likely arena for a bipartisan compromise. The bill contains the Community Living Assistance Supports and Services (CLASS) Act, which creates a voluntary opt-out payroll deduction that would provide people experiencing functional impairments with tiered benefits if they have contributed a monthly premium over five years.

Meanwhile, a bi-partisan group of Senate Finance committee members led by Ben Nelson (D-NE) is pushing back against the rush to complete a health reform bill by mid-August. Nelson, joined by Sens. Joe Lieberman (ID-CT), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME), today released to Senate leaders a suggestion that the chamber adopt a more reasonable time frame in order to ensure the measure actually saves money in the long run. Nelson said on Thursday that getting the Finance Committee to report a bill may be achievable before lawmakers return to their home districts for the August recess. Amid pressure from President Obama, the Finance panel had been rushing to put out a bipartisan bill this week, but Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) said Thursday that he needed a few more days of negotiation.


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Long Term Services Provisions Gain Bi-Partisan Approval in Senate HELP Committee Health Legislation Mark Up

The Senate HELP Committee today finished marking up long-term service provisions, also known as the Community Living Assistance Supports and Services (CLASS) Act, included in the panel's healthcare overhaul. The measure received bi-partisan support from the committee after members agreed by voice vote to add a provision that would ensure the program’s solvency. ANCOR supports the CLASS Act, which creates a voluntary opt-out payroll deduction that would provide people experiencing functional impairments with tiered benefits if they have contributed a monthly premium over five years. The Congressional Budget Office estimated the program will save the government $58 billion over the first 10 years—taking pressure off Medicaid as the primary financier of long-term care. In addition, the program would be a new, private source of funding for ANCOR members and others that provide long-term supports and services. The Obama administration supports including the long-term care measures in healthcare reform. In a letter sent to Senate Democrats today, HHS Secretary Sebelius called the plan "innovative."

Thank you to ANCOR members that urged their Senators to support the CLASS Act and the inclusion of long-term services and supports in health reform legislation.


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HELP Committee Releases Health Reform Bill That Includes Long Term Services

Senate HELP Committee Chairman Kennedy (D-MA) released the Affordable Health Choices Act Tuesday which includes the following five major elements: choice, cost reduction, prevention, health system modernization, and long term services and supports. The committee will begin consideration of the 615-page bill, Tuesday, June 16th. The Chairman’s inclusion of his CLASS Act (S. 697), supported by ANCOR, would create a new national insurance program to help adults who have or develop functional impairments to remain independent, employed, and stay a part of their community, is incorporated. This new program, self-funded and actuarially sound, would provide significant savings to the Medicaid program, relieving state and federal budgets as the primary funder of long-term services. It would offer a new funding resource for providers of home and community-based services. Senator Dodd (D-CT), second in Democratic seniority on the committee, is managing the day-to-day work of the HELP Committee during Chairman Kennedy’s absence. Read more!