Paving the Way for Change: Implementing CLASS

The historic passage of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was in many ways a homerun for health advocates who have been working toward meaningful reform for decades. The new law lays the groundwork for sweeping changes in the American health care system, expanding access, coverage, and personal responsibility for care suited to individual needs. For older Americans, particularly those with chronic conditions needing special assistance, the law will do a great many things. It will improve home- and community-based services, expand care coordination opportunities, create a new office within the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) dedicated to greater quality and efficiency in serving dual eligibles, and develop a CMS Innovation Center to test and bring to scale pioneering care models. Last, but not least, health reform initiates the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) program – a voluntary, federally administered long-term care insurance product that is not taxpayer funded. Together, these components serve as the platform for a more comprehensive approach to providing long-term services and supports. The SCAN Foundation envisions great opportunities to help institute these key provisions.