Despite White House concerns, the Obama administration is not moving forward with efforts to implement the Class Act, the long-term care program the Department of Health and Human Services said last week will just not work.
Administration officials confirmed that even though President Obama does not support repeal of the CLASS Act, implementation of the program in its present form will not continue.
At the same time, both administration and long-term industry officials said efforts must continue to address the long term care needs of people in this country.
"We do not support repeal," a White House official said Monday, according to The Hill.
"Repealing the CLASS Act isn't necessary or productive. What we should be doing is working together to address the long-term care challenges we face in this country," the White House official was reported as saying.
But Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, interpreted the conflict between the report issued Friday by the Department of Health and Human Services saying work on the program will be stopped and the different message put forth by White House comments "as a combination of chaos and insanity, said Jesse Slome, of the situation."
He and others in the industry pointed out the actuary has left the building, the staff has been reassigned and the program suspended.
"It is understandable that the president doesn't want to abandon any part of health care reform," Slome. "But I can't understand why the president and the Democrats are throwing gasoline on the bonfire."
