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The Arc Responds to Announcement on CLASS Program

Today, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that it doesn’t see a path forward for Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Program at this time.

The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Program was created to help working adults prepare for their future in the event they need help maintaining independence in the community. It was also intended to take the pressure off Medicaid, so that Medicaid can better serve the needs of low income communities. If CLASS is not implemented, the Medicaid program will continue to take on the load of long term service needs for many Americans, who will be forced into a lifetime of poverty to qualify for this assistance.

The need for long term care remains a major issue facing millions of American families, and it will take real leadership in Washington to solve this problem so that families face a more certain economic future. Members of The Arc expect the Obama Administration to find a way to keep the promise they made to individuals who need the services CLASS would provide. We stand ready to help the White House and HHS find a solution to make the CLASS program viable.