As you know, the Senate is currently deciding which provisions will remain in their final health reform legislation. We understand that Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) plans to submit an amendment to strike the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act provision from the bill now being considered. If he doesn’t, someone else is most likely to do so, so we are at a real crunch time for saving this major public policy agenda!

We need 51 Senators to vote against this amendment and make sure CLASS is in the final bill. To get these votes, we need your help.

Call Today: AAHSA and our partner organizations are having a call-in day to the entire Senate. Please get your or your members’ residents, clients, staff and volunteers to call (800) 958-5374 between 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Eastern and tell their Senators to support CLASS. Below is a sample phone script you can circulate:

Sample Phone Script:
Hello. I am calling to ask Senator ___________________ to make sure the CLASS Act remains in the final health reform legislation. People need help accessing the long-term services and supports that help them remain independent and at home. The CLASS Act is an affordable, accessible and fiscally solvent way to provide these services and reduce Medicaid costs at the same time. Can we count on Senator ___________________ for his/her support?

Why is there a need for the CLASS plan?
Ten million Americans today need long term services and supports—including 4 million under age 65. As the Baby Boomers age into retirement, these numbers will more than double. The CLASS plan addresses what may be the biggest current gap in coverage for seniors and people with disabilities by creating an affordable, accessible, voluntary insurance program to provide services and supports to help those in need remain in their homes and communities. Our major “insurance” plan, by default, for long-term services and supports (LTSS) is Medicaid, which serves the impoverished and has limited options for personal choice. This system fails to provide realistic opportunities for personal planning, requires people to spend-down into poverty before receiving the help they need, fails to support family caregivers adequately, leads to higher acute care costs and is fiscally unsustainable, given the Baby Boomers’ coming explosive needs. The nation needs a plan that protects people beyond just those who are healthy and wealthy enough for private market coverage. Helping people to avoid impoverishment due to the costs of LTSS is the right thing to do for individuals and their families and it is the right thing to do for the Medicaid program.