Opinion: Californians Should Learn About CLASS Program
The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports program is "one part of health reform Californians ought to learn more about as Congress and the presidential candidates debate the future of the law this year and next," Daniel Weintraub -- editor of HealthyCal -- writes in a Sacramento Bee opinion piece. He notes that "the program is to be open to all and paid for with voluntary deductions from employees' paychecks," adding, "People who pay into the program for at least five years would be eligible for a cash benefit they could spend on services of their choice, including in-home care. Weintraub writes that "[n]ine out of 10 California voters over age 40 are unaware of the program, which is scheduled to roll out next year. But when told of its details, 88% said they favored the idea," according to a recent survey funded by the SCAN Foundation. HealthyCal is partially funded by the SCAN Foundation.
- "Viewpoints: Few Californians Prepared for Cost of Aging" (Weintraub, Sacramento Bee, 8/16).