Issues Close to Home

The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports program

Over the past several months, we've shared updates with you on the status of the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports program, commonly known as the CLASS Act. The CLASS Act is a national, voluntary insurance program that was intended to give most working adults a new option to pay for long-term disability services and supports. Under the program, enrollees with functional limitations would contribute to the program for five years and then would be eligible to receive a cash benefit to help them pay for services and supports.

However, in order to design a benefit package that was generous enough to meet the requirements of the health reform law, premiums would be set high, driving healthy individuals from participating in the program. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) had been working to find a way to make the CLASS Act sustainable, but unable to come with a solution, they halted its implementation in October.

While HHS has halted implementation of the CLASS Act, Members of Congress are split on whether to move forward with the program in its current form, amend it or repeal it. The House recently passed legislation, primarily with Republican support, to repeal the CLASS Act. Senate Republicans are hoping to force a vote on the repeal bill in the Senate. House members are working with on alternative legislation to replace the CLASS Act that would allow consumers to buy long-term care policies through tax-free employer cafeteria plans and flexible spending arrangements.

Prior to the repeal vote in the House, Congressman Deutch of Florida offered two statements highlighting the importance of long-term care services and supports for the paralysis community. In his statements, the Congressman referenced Alan T. Brown, Director of Public Impact for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and someone living with a spinal cord injury for over 20 years. Representative Deutch met Alan through his advocacy work. "I can't help but think of a very impressive man from south Florida named Alan Brown, who at the age of 20 was hit by a strong wave at the beach that leaves him a quadriplegic today. He has an endless list of expenses from transportation to health care, and even with two jobs, he struggles to support his family in the face of increasing health care costs. Long term care is out of reach for a majority of Americans. Any of us could experience an accident like Mr. Brown, and if that's not compelling enough to support CLASS, the inevitability of old age should be."

The Congressman's statement demonstrates that while we are unsure what the future holds for the CLASS Act, what we do know is how important it is for individuals living with paralysis to have access to the long-term services and supports needed to remain independent. As the process unfolds, the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is committed to working closely with Members of Congress and other stakeholders to identify effective ways to help Americans prepare for financing their individual long-term care needs.