CHMP Senior Fellow Liz Seegert has written a thought-provoking piece for Kaiser Health News that reports on a discussion of the CLASS Act at the recent meeting of the Gerontological Society of America. The CLASS Act–Community Living Assistance Services and Supports– is the part of the Affordable Care Act that was to provide a financially viable, voluntary approach to the growing need for long-term care in this country. Unfortunately, the Obama administration decided to not move forward on this section of the law because the financial picture was not as promising as had been hoped by the authors of the legislation.
Seegert interviewed speaker Toni Miles, MD, PhD, Director of the Institute of Gerontology at the University of Georgia, who argues that a longterm care benefit should be mandatory and folded into the Affordable Care Act. It’s an interesting notion. Read Seegert’s post and consider whether this approach is feasible, financially and politically.
Diana J. Mason, PhD, RN, FAAN, Rudin Professor of Nursing
