Does the new law do anything to help people deal with or prepare for long-term care costs?
Yes, the law includes the CLASS Act (Community Living Assistance Services and Supports), which creates a new national voluntary disability insurance program. Participation in the CLASS plan is entirely voluntary. If you choose to enroll, you must be working and pay premiums. If, after paying into the system for at least 5 years, you become disabled, you will qualify to receive benefits. The benefits come in the form of a flexible cash payment, which could be used for a variety of approved services and supports, like installing a wheel chair ramp or paying for a personal care attendant. This is a fiscally responsible program that will help people who become disabled continue to live in their homes and communities. • I’m on Medicare. Are doctors still going to be willing to see me? Yes. Health reform will make it easier for a doctor to take Medicare patients. The new law will offer incentives for primary care doctors who provide primary care services for physicians who practice mainly in
