[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 20437]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       THE COMMUNITY LIVING ASSISTANCE SERVICES AND SUPPORTS ACT

  (Mr. PRICE of Georgia asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, there's a health care bill that 
the Democrats have proposed here in the House that would have a major 
impact on the way that health care is provided in this Nation.
  One of the areas that hasn't been talked about a lot is long-term 
care. Specifically, the CLASS Act, Community Living Assisted Services 
and Supports Act, is included, which would mandate government-
sponsored, long-term care insurance on all Americans. Now, 
unfortunately, the $50-a-day allocation for long-term care insurance is 
only a portion of the actual cost for the long-term care. Consequently, 
this is a huge unfunded mandate on who, Mr. Speaker? On you, the 
American people.
  Instead, Congress should consider positive solutions which would make 
long-term care insurance more accessible by allowing it to be covered 
under FSAs and cafeteria plans and other patient-centered plans. 
Without a doubt, Americans need a plan in advance for long-term care. 
They should be allowed to work with family and trusted advisers to 
ensure their long-term needs are covered. The government should not 
limit the type of long-term care Americans may select.
  This is just another example of the government telling people what 
kind of care they should need and may receive.

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