Jay Rockefeller: “Reserving the right to object, which this Senator does, I want to make a comment and then I will give my answer. Mr.…”

“Reserving the right to object, which this Senator does, I want to make a comment and then I will give my answer. Mr. President, the good Senator, who is on the Finance Committee, wants to repeal the CLASS Act. It is called long-term care. To be sure, the CLASS Act is not perfect, but little of what we do in the Senate is perfect. But if there is anything in this country that we ought to be driving toward, it is a long-term care policy, which right now consists of impoverishing yourself and getting rid of your assets, homes, house, whatever, car, in order to classify for Medicaid. That way you can get it. It is called the humiliation of Americans with legitimate health care needs. The CLASS Act could be amended through the regular legislative process to make it sustainable over the long term, but always our friends on the other side of the aisle find it easier to object and repeal. ``Let's repeal something.'' You don't have to have an alternative in mind. You can leave people in the same sense of suffering as we found way back during the Pepper commission, where people would prostrate themselves in order to qualify for Medicaid, in which they would have a chance at getting some long-term care. We need to discuss this, because it is a huge problem. In 2008, 21 million Americans had a condition that caused them to need help with their health and personal care. Why? Because Congress has shied away from this subject forever. We have made a habit of shying away from it.…”