The Long Term Care Commission was recently established under a provision in the American Tax Relief Act of 2012, which was signed into law by President Obama on January 2, 2013 to prevent the "fiscal cliff" and avert major spending cuts.
The Commission will be responsible for developing a plan for "establishing, implementing, and financing" a "comprehensive, coordinated, and high-quality system that ensures the availability of long-term services and supports" for elders and people with disabilities.
Language is included in the American Tax Relief Act requires the Commission to address the following workforce issues in long term care:
- Adequacy of the number of long-term care workers to meet the need
- Necessary development of the workforce in order to provide high-quality services
- Development of entities (i.e. public authorities) that can serve as employers and fiscal agents for home care workers
- Gaps in federal and state infrastructure that prevent the delivery of high-quality long-term services and supports
Under the American Tax Relief Act, several provisions of the Affordable Care Act were repealed, including the CLASS Act, which was intended to be a voluntary, federal long-term care insurance program.
Check this page frequently for updates on the Commission’s activities.