The Republican-controlled House has voted to repeal a highly controversial part of President Obama’s healthcare reform law. Will the Senate do the same?
Probably not, despite a House vote of 267 to 159 to repeal the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act (CLASS), which was included in Obama’s overhaul of the nation’s healthcare system.
The final tally in the House wasn’t entirely across party lines, as 28 Democrats joined their Republican counterparts in voting for CLASS’ repeal.
While Obama administration officials have admitted the program won’t work as presently constructed, they have said they’d like to see it restructured rather than scrapped completely.
Republicans have said this is one step toward their ultimate goal of dismantling the entire healthcare reform law.
This House vote has looked inevitable since Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced this past fall that HHS was unable to find a way to make the program financially solvent.
But Democrats’ opposition to killing CLASS makes it unlikely a measure to repeal the act would be taken up by the Senate, let alone gain the approval of the White House.
Troubles with the law
CLASS was supposed to set up a voluntary insurance program to help the elderly and disabled pay for long-term care expenses. Enrollees would be required to pay monthly premiums into the program for least five years before being able to receive cash benefits to pay for long-term care expenses.
The HHS determined that unless a large number of healthy people enrolled in the voluntary program, premiums would soar, leading to dwindling participation rates and, in turn, more benefits payouts than premiums collected.
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