The Commission on Long-Term Care proposes to scratch the three-day hospital stay requirement in Medicare observed in a skilled-nursing facility as one of its improvement recommendations. It will be presented on its final report to the Congress about long-term services due by Sept. 30.
The congressionally mandated commission that has 15 members met its deadline on Sept. 12 to vote on a blueprint that it plans to eventually share with Congress. The commission, formed as part of the American Taxpayer Relief Act passed by the Congress in January, is tasked with developing a plan aimed at establishing, implementing, and financing a long-term care system in the United States. The members of the panel voted 9-6 that the plan should be used as the broad agreement of the commission.
The commission was formed after the Congress granted a repeal of the landmark Community Living Assistance and Supports Act section from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This would then establish a voluntary long-term care benefit for U.S citizens which is being paid for by payroll contributions of workers. Many experts in the field expressed that policymakers have to address the problem involved with making long-term care affordable following the repeal of the CLASS Act.
Several American citizens lack affordable long-term care since Medicare doesn’t really pay for most long-term care. Moreover, Medicaid only steps in after people have already used up their private assets. Only a small percentage of American citizens have been able to purchase long-term care insurance though the market has been plagued with expensive premiums and insurers that are exiting.
Based on a summary from the commission, there are more than 25 recommendations listed in the package which will be included in this month’s final report. The recommendations fell into wide categories of service delivery, human labor, finance and advancing a national advisory committee specializing on long-term services and supports.
Aside from eliminating Medicare’s three-day hospital stay requirement, the commissioners also suggested a reevaluation of another Medicare requirement on getting home health services which say that a person must be homebound in order to qualify. For Medicaid, members of the panel suggested a demonstration project to award workers with coverage on disability for the long-term care services and supports that they could use to remain employed.
