Community Living Assistance Services and Support (CLASS) Act

Community Living Assistance Services and Support (CLASS) Act

CLASS Act (Community Living Assistance Services and Support Act), the new health care law signed by President Barack Obama, is a voluntary, federally administered, consumer-financed insurance plan. The law specifies that it is "a national voluntary insurance program," the key word being "voluntary," which requires employers to enrol workers automatically, but still has the freedom to choose to waive coverage "at any time."

Its provisions are expected to take effect January 01, 2011. Individuals who wish to sign up can do so after the secretary of Health and Human services finished developing the details of the plan and its implementation. The law requires the release of details be done no later than October of 2012.

Under this law, all US citizens who are "actively at work," age 18 and older, are eligible to enrol. This actively-at-work requirement includes part time workers and those who are self-employed and those who are enrolling due to pre-existing conditions such as having a physical disability or other health issues are not excluded.

A way to get enrolled in this insurance plan is through the employer who decides to participate. Once decided to join, the employer will sign people up automatically and the premiums are handled through a payroll deduction. No one is required to participate. An individual may freely choose not to through "opting out."

The benefits covered by this insurance plan include a benefit cash amount which is pegged to an assessment of a person's need for help due to a physical or cognitive limitation. A benefit payment scale is developed by the secretary so that higher cash benefits are provided for people with greater need for help with basic activities of living such bathing, eating, dressing, and mobility.

And, to keep up with the changing inflation, cash benefit amount will increase annually and there is no lifetime limit. This simply means that once a participant has a qualifying level of disability and begins receiving cash benefits, benefits continue until the person no longer has a qualifying level of disability.

What is a qualifying level of disability? Under the Class Act, the Secretary is required to choose between a loss of ability to perform two activities of daily living or a more rigorous point to serve the minimum level of disability to qualify for benefits. In both cases, the degree of disability must be expected to continue for at least 90 days for a qualification for the disability category of the law. The secretary will also develop the details of how the evaluation process works.

In terms of premiums costs, premiums may be lower for younger people than for older people when they sign up. They are intended to remain the same for a person from the time he signs up. Individuals with disability or health issues are not be charged higher. While working students and people with low income are charged with a special low premium price. And, special rules regarding premium prices will apply to people who enrol, drop out, and re-enrol later.

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