[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 155 (Monday, October 15, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H11519-H11521]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF A LONG-TERM CARE AWARENESS WEEK
Ms. BALDWIN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 133) supporting the goals and
ideals of a Long-Term Care Awareness Week.
The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:
H. Con. Res. 133
Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services has
reported that approximately 60 percent of individuals who are
over the age of 65 will need some kind of long-term care
services and at some point more than 40 percent of such
individuals will require nursing home care;
Whereas in 2005 the Government Accountability Office
projected that by 2040 the number of individuals in the age
group of individuals who are 85 years of age or older, which
it finds is the age group most likely to require long-term
care services, is projected to increase more than 250 percent
from 4,300,000 individuals in 2000 to 15,400,000 individuals;
Whereas the Internet site of the National Clearinghouse for
Long-Term Care Information notes that the Medicare program
does not generally pay for most long-term care services that
are needed and that the Medicare program pays for skilled
nursing facility services only after a recent hospital stay,
that Medicare beneficiaries generally pay more than $118 in
daily coinsurance beginning on the 21st day of coverage and
coverage ends after 100 days, and that the Medicare program
does not cover a stay in an assisted living facility or adult
day care;
Whereas an AARP study in 2006 found that 59 percent of
people in the United States who are 45 years of age or older
overestimated the level of coverage under the Medicare
program for nursing home care and more than half of such
people who are 45 years of age or older indicate they believe
such program provides coverage for assisted living, which it
does not;
Whereas the 2006 AARP study concludes that given the
already high costs related to long-term care and the
projected growth in the size of the older population in
future years, it is essential for people in the United States
to learn more about the costs of long term care, about ways
to prepare for and pay for long term care, and State and
community resources that are available to assist in these
challenges;
Whereas the Government Accountability Office has reported
that broad-based misperceptions regarding the Medicare
program's level of long-term care coverage significantly
contributes to the lack of personal preparation of people in
the United States for the financing of long term care and
advises that the government can play a significant part in
enhancing personal preparedness by educating people in the
United States about the scope of coverage of long-term care
under public programs such as the Medicare program;
Whereas people in the United States have a right to know
what long-term care coverage is available to them so that
they are able to make informed retirement choices;
Whereas the first phase of the Department of Health and
Human Service's pilot program to raise awareness regarding
planning for long-term care obtained a less than 8 percent
response rate by consumers requesting information in selected
States;
Whereas in 2002 the Government Accountability Office
reported that less than 10 percent of the elderly population
in the United States and a lower percentage of those aged 55
to 64 years of age in the United States have purchased long-
term care insurance;
Whereas the Department of Commerce indicates that savings
as a percentage of after tax income declined from
approximately eight percent in 1990 to less than zero since
2005;
Whereas in 2005 the Government Accountability Office
reported that spending on long-term care services solely for
the elderly is projected to grow at least two-and-a-half
times and could grow almost four-fold to $379 billion in
2050;
Whereas the Government Accountability Office has reported
that many people in the United States have neared
impoverishment by depleting their assets to pay the
significant costs of their long-term care;
Whereas AARP reports that an estimated 44,400,000
individuals who are 18 years of age or older provide unpaid
care to another adult and others have estimated the value of
such unpaid services to be approximately $257 billion
annually;
Whereas advance planning by family members will help to
protect caregivers' health, financial security, and quality
of life;
Whereas our Nation's long term care challenges will
significantly impact women, who make up more than 58 percent
of people in the United States who are 65 years of age and
older, and greater than two-thirds of people in the United
States who are 85 years of age and older;
Whereas encouraging people in the United States to
anticipate and plan for their future long-term care needs
will help them achieve greater health and financial security,
as well as greater independence, choice, and control over the
services they need in the setting of their choice; and
Whereas a long term care awareness week has been observed
during the first full week in November, which in 2007 will be
the week of November 4th through 10th: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That Congress--
(1) supports the goals and ideals of a Long-Term Care
Awareness Week;
(2) encourages the Secretary of Health and Human Services
to continue working to educate people in the United States
about long-term care; and
(3) urges the people of the United States to recognize such
a week as an opportunity to learn more about the potential
risks and costs associated with long-term care and the
options available to help meet their long-term care needs.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Wisconsin (Ms. Baldwin) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Fossella)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Wisconsin.
General Leave
Ms. BALDWIN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
exclude extraneous material on the concurrent resolution under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Wisconsin?
There was no objection.
Ms. BALDWIN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 133, supporting the
goals and ideals of a Long-Term Care Awareness Week. Long-term care is
an often overlooked part of the continuum of care for many Americans,
and many of us find ourselves ill informed and ill prepared to make
choices for our own long-term care needs and those of our loved ones.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, long-
term care represents a variety of services that include medical and
nonmedical care for people who have a chronic illness or disability.
Most long-term care is to assist people with the activities of daily
living, such as dressing, bathing, and using the bathroom. It is
important to remember that you may need long-term care at any age. The
need for support and health services for persons who have diminished
capacity for self-care is projected to strain both public and private
resources.
Madam Speaker, H. Con. Res. 133 calls for public education about the
need for long-term care so that people of all ages throughout our
Nation are better prepared to meet their own long-term care needs.
Planning for long-term care requires us to think about possible future
health care needs. Making the right decision about long-term care
requires us to look at all of the options before us and to make
informed decisions.
[[Page H11520]]
I want to recognize and thank my colleague from South Dakota (Ms.
Herseth Sandlin) for introducing this resolution and carrying it to the
floor. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of it.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FOSSELLA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 133,
supporting the goals and ideals of a Long-Term Care Awareness Week. As
designated, the first week in November is designed as the opportunity
to educate Americans on the likelihood of one needing long-term care.
Additionally, greater education is needed as to what types of long-term
care programs are available and what the various costs of services are.
Families should take this opportunity to discuss the options to help
plan and pay for their future.
We know the baby boomer generation is now becoming eligible for
Social Security, so it is sort of a wake-up call for what it will be,
not just for having some financial independence, but what it would be
and what it means to take care of dealing with their health care and
the notion of rising health care costs. So the sooner one prepares, the
better off they will be when they reach that age.
Madam Speaker, health care costs are increasing, people are living
longer, and I think we have a real responsibility here to educate
constituents who need to become actively involved in ways in which they
can provide for their own future of health care, as well as the care of
their family member. I stand in support of this and ask my colleagues
to support the resolution as well.
Mr. FOSSELLA. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BALDWIN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 4\1/2\ minutes to
the bill's author, the gentlewoman from South Dakota (Ms. Herseth
Sandlin).
{time} 1645
Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res.
133, a bipartisan resolution supporting the goals and ideals of Long-
Term Care Awareness Week during the week of November 4 through 10,
2007. I would like to thank Chairman Dingell and committee staff for
moving this resolution to the floor, and the gentlewoman from Wisconsin
(Ms. Baldwin) for yielding to me once again.
I would like to urge my colleagues to support this commonsense,
bipartisan resolution which I introduced with the gentleman from
Louisiana (Mr. Boustany), along with the gentleman from Maine (Mr.
Allen) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Ferguson).
I am proud that this resolution has earned the support of AARP,
Families USA, the Alzheimer's Association, the National Council on
Aging, the American Council of Life Insurers, the Association of Health
Insurance Advisors, and America's Health Insurance Plans. They have
come together in recognizing the immediacy of the need to raise
awareness about planning for long-term care needs.
This resolution is part of my commitment to addressing the many
challenges associated with long-term care. Designating a week to focus
on long-term care is one meaningful step we can take.
Our Nation needs to address these issues sooner rather than later so
that Americans are anticipating and fully prepared to meet their long-
term care needs.
Studies show that many Americans don't have a clear perception of
what long-term care costs and to what extent long-term care is covered
by public programs.
Experts have projected strong growth and demand for long-term care
services as the baby-boom generation grows older and have emphasized
the related challenge of paying for long-term care services.
The Department of Health and Human Services has reported that
approximately 60 percent of people over the age of 65 will need some
kind of long-term care services.
The Government Accountability Office has reported projections of
significant growth in spending on long-term care services for seniors
such that spending could approach $379 billion by 2050.
Our Nation's long-term care challenges will have a particularly
significant impact on women, who make up more than 58 percent of
Americans over the age of 65 and greater than two-thirds of people 85
years of age or older.
Yet when it come to preparing to meet these costs, many Americans are
not adequately prepared. For instance, a 2006 AARP survey on the cost
of long-term care found that 60 percent of people age 45 and older said
they believe Medicare will pay for extended nursing home stay, which it
does not. And more than 50 percent of people age 45 or older said they
believe Medicare covers assisted living, which it does not.
And private-pay costs for this kind of care continue to go up. In
South Dakota, the average cost of a year in a private room in a nursing
home is $53,000, and a double-occupancy room averages well over
$47,000. According to one recent national survey, a year in a private
room in a nursing home averages more than $74,000, and a double-
occupancy room averages nearly $66,000 a year.
An essential step in meeting the challenges posed by long-term care
needs and costs is raising awareness about planning for long-term care.
Education will help people understand the likelihood of needing long-
term care, the types and costs of available services, and the options
to help plan and pay for those services. The more people know, the
greater opportunity people have to plan for their future and the more
likely they are to receive the services they need in the setting of
their choice.
That's the motivation for this Long-Term Care Awareness Week
resolution. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan resolution.
By passing it today, supporting the goals and ideals of Long-Term Care
Awareness Week during the week of November 4 through 10, we can take
another step forward to prepare our constituents and the Nation to meet
the already high cost of long-term care and the growing challenges
ahead.
Mr. FOSSELLA. Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 2 minutes to
the lead sponsor and a true champion of this effort in the House, the
gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Boustany).
Mr. BOUSTANY. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my friend from New
York for yielding me this time.
I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 133 because many Americans lack
protection from catastrophic long-term care expenses related to chronic
illnesses and disability. And worse yet, most families assume that
Medicare will actually pay for these long-term care services, while it
generally does not; and oftentimes they find out in the midst of a
family crisis when a loved one is ill, placing intensive emotional
burdens as well as financial burdens on families.
I want to thank my colleague, Congresswoman Herseth Sandlin, for
working with me on this and really for being a champion on this issue.
She and I have worked together, and we have had some success in
persuading HHS and Social Security to clarify these widespread
perceptions.
I am hopeful that the passage of this resolution will encourage
Secretary Leavitt, President Bush and the future administration to
discuss this critical retirement security issue with the American
people. A recent poll found that the majority of voters want to hear
more about plans on how we will deal with this problem, and they desire
more information on this. And that perception out there that exists
that Medicare covers this is a real problem. The more we can get this
information out to the American people, the greater the service we will
be doing to help them deal and to cope with these problems.
We clearly must do more to expand coverage for long-term care, to
assist family caregivers, particularly those coping with the onset of
chronic conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. So I urge my colleagues
to support H. Con. Res. 133.
Ms. BALDWIN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FOSSELLA. Madam Speaker, let me commend the gentlelady from South
Dakota and the gentleman from Louisiana for bringing this to the floor.
[[Page H11521]]
I think what they said is totally accurate in the sense that as our
population lives longer and lives more healthy lives, along with that
comes an understanding and an obligation to begin preparing for those
long-term health care needs as part of their retirement.
As I mentioned before, baby boomers officially begin to receive, for
those early retirees, Social Security in just a few months. That
population, as we know, is large. I just think the more we can
emphasize and educate the people of this country on what their options
can and should be as they retire, the better off we will be when that
day arrives.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. BALDWIN. Madam Speaker, I too want to add my words of
congratulations to the bill's authors, the gentlewoman from South
Dakota and the gentleman from Louisiana.
I know from my own personal experience you are never fully prepared
for having to make some of these choices on behalf of loved ones, and
it can happen at any time. We are going to be very well-served by the
passage of this bill to increase awareness among people of all age
groups about the decisions and options they have. We have to understand
that long-term care is part of the continuum of health care in this
country. More education is needed. I recommend its passage.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Berkley). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Baldwin) that the House
suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res.
133.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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