John Ensign: “the Senate bill was, frankly, inadequate. I offered an amendment in the Committee on Ways and Means, which was accepted…”

“the Senate bill was, frankly, inadequate. I offered an amendment in the Committee on Ways and Means, which was accepted, which will address long-term health care for Americans. Most elderly Americans are unaware of the magnitude of long-term care costs and of the limits of Government assistance. Many Americans wrongly assumed that Government programs or their general insurance will cover the costs of any long-term care services they might need. The reality is that the cost of long-term care can quickly wipe out the assets of even those who have worked and saved for a lifetime. For example, the average cost of nursing home care is now over $38,000 a year. If you happen to need such care, your options are limited under the current system. Only about 2 percent of long-term care costs are handled by private insurance. Normally, everyone else pays out of pocket or is forced to Medicaid, to the degree that nearly 40 percent of Medicaid costs are swallowed by long-term care components. This bill now includes the language that allows tax deductions for long-term care services, as is allowable for medical services. I urge the support of this amendment and the support of this bill.”