CLASS implementation oversight listed in HHS work plan

But GOP lawmakers are seeking an actuarial report from the Department of Health and Human Services that may offer insights into this controversial long-term care insurance program's fiscal viability.

Politico Pro: HHS Work Plan Includes CLASS Oversight
The HHS Office of Inspector General has listed several ACA investigations as part of its planned oversight for fiscal 2012, including the implementation of the CLASS Act and the use of federal money from the Prevention and Public Health Fund. The work plan, released Wednesday, covers all of the oversight activities for programs throughout HHS -; including Medicare, Medicaid, public health programs and general fraud prevention. But the ACA investigations are bound to provide fodder for Congress as Republicans try to step up their oversight of the law. They're likely to pay especially close attention to whatever the inspector general's office finds on the CLASS Act, given the GOP's concerns about whether the program is financially viable (Nather, 10/5).

The Hill: GOP Demands HHS Report On Health Care Law's Controversial CLASS Program
The Health and Human Services Department said in a recent blog post that it has received an actuarial analysis of the CLASS program -; a response to widespread concern that the program is insolvent and might not actually come to fruition. But Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee say they've been unable to get a copy of the report from HHS. They formally requested a copy of the analysis in a letter to the department on Wednesday. "The work this Committee is doing to improve the long-term health of our economy is too important to wait for HHS to decide when and how it will finally release this important information to the public," the GOP lawmakers said in their letter (Baker, 10/5).

CQ HealthBeat: GOP House Members In Pursuit Of CLASS Actuarial Report
Republicans critical of a troubled long-term care insurance plan that was included in the health care law told Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Wednesday that they want an HHS actuarial analysis on the viability of the plan and the documents connected to the future of its HHS office. House Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton and two subcommittee chairmen wrote Sebelius that an HHS official said in a Sept. 28 blog post that the agency recently obtained an actuarial analysis of a number of different potential benefit plans for the Community Living Assistance Service and Supports (CLASS) program. They asked for a copy of that analysis by noon Thursday (Norman, 10/5).

Earlier, related KHN coverage: FAQ: What Factors Affect The Future Of CLASS? (Barr, 10/5).