Beyond the CLASS Act: The Future of Long-Term Care Financing Reform

The story of the rise, passage, and repeal of the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act has, to a large extent, neglected political context. Most accounts have focused on perceived flaws in the design of the program, such as its voluntary nature or absence of underwriting. While these analyses have resurfaced old debates, spawned numerous inside-the-beltway workgroups, and contributed to some thoughtful new ideas, the political environment contributed to passage and repeal, and will continue to influence the range of available long-term care (LTC) financing options and affect future progress.