Russ Feingold: “I am pleased to introduce S. 85, the Long-Term Care Reform and Deficit Reduction Act of 1995, legislation to reform…”

“I am pleased to introduce S. 85, the Long-Term Care Reform and Deficit Reduction Act of 1995, legislation to reform fundamentally the way we provide long-term care in this country. Though Congress failed to pass comprehensive health care reform last year, we must not wait to renew our efforts. We should begin now, and universal coverage should again be our goal. The legislation I am introducing today does not attempt to reform our health care system in any comprehensive way, but it does serve to resume the debate, and can be a first step in the effort to pursue universal coverage. The bill establishes a system of consumer-oriented, consumer-directed home and community-based long-term care services for individuals with disabilities of any age. It is based on Wisconsin's home and community-based long-term care program, the Community Options Program [COP], which has been a national model of reform. COP was the keystone of Wisconsin's long-term care reforms that have saved Wisconsin taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.”