Government Funded Programs Work To Ensure Long-Term Care For Citizens
As a nation we spend millions battling the various ailments that accompany old age. But these small inconveniences of age will no longer be of major importance when more serious problems inevitably set in. At some point, most of us will suffer serious physical issues that will require the need for assistance with even the smallest of tasks. The need for assisted living healthcare is also well known to many younger people who have experienced disabilities in their families.
Unless they’re elderly, disabled, or caregivers, chances are it doesn’t quite register with most people the probability of their needing some kind of long-term care in the future. A recent poll in California found that 58 percent of registered Californian voters age 40 or older feel unprepared for the event of having to take care of themselves. The survey also provided some sobering statistics for all Americans: the Department of Health and Human Services estimate that at least 70 percent of Americans age 65 years and older will need longer-term care services at some point in their lives.
Simple denial may be why a provision addressing the problem of long term care barely got any notice in the furious media coverage leading up to the passage of the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. CLASS was one of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy’s final legislative efforts. It was added to the health reform bill in the summer of 2009 and got a green light to pass with relatively little controversy.
CLASS is a voluntary insurance program to assist Americans who become disabled to buy community living services, also known as residential assisted living support. The program provides cash to participants who have functional limitations that limit their everyday activities. CLASS takes effect January 1st, 2011 and will be run by the Department of Health and Human Services. Cash benefits of at least $50 a day (dependent on the person’s level of disability) kick in once participants have contributed for five years, either through payroll deduction or directly if self-employed.
Some critics complain that the cash benefit is woefully small. But supporters of the plan say every bit helps. Other skeptics worry that the CLASS program is greatly underfunded. But many experts believe CLASS should be able to remain afloat because it’s a federally run program and can attract a larger base of people.
Assisted living marketing services are provided by 800seniors.com a leading referral
system in the assisted living industry. For more information, call 1-800-768-8221. Sky Palma is a freelance staff writer.