Though declared over, CLASS Act still draws attention

A group of House and Senate Republican lawmakers sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius last week reiterating earlier criticisms of the long-term care insurance program and noting that ending the program did not completely address their concerns.

The Hill: Week Ahead: Class Act Dead, But Not Gone
The collapse of the health care reform law's CLASS Act will be back in the headlines next week, and the House is also slated to vote on a bill that would chip away at a separate part of the law. Positive reaction to a final rule on accountable care organizations helped the Obama administration shift the health care dialogue away from the failed Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act program this week, but congressional Republicans aren't willing to let the program die quietly. A group of House and Senate Republicans sent Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius another letter about CLASS on Thursday, reiterating lawmakers' earlier criticisms of the long-term-care program and asking Sebelius to explain why she had previously indicated that CLASS could work (Baker, 10/24).

CQ HealthBeat: GOP Wants To Ensure CLASS Program Is Gone For Good
Republicans are continuing their push to repeal the long-term care program in the 2010 health care overhaul, demonstrating they are not going to let the issue go despite the administration's recent decision to shutter the program. A bicameral group of 13 GOP lawmakers requested more information from Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius concerning what she knew about the program's financial structure and when, saying the decision to end it does not do enough to address their concerns (Ethridge, 10/21).

The Associated Press: Aging America: Long-Term Care Can Bankrupt An Average Family, Yet Few Carry Insurance
The Obama administration's decision to pull the plug on a financially flawed long-term care insurance plan is likely to worsen a dilemma most middle-class families are totally unprepared for (10/24).