Over Congress’ Fourth of July recess, we need your help contacting key legislators and urging them to include the CLASS Act in the various health care reform bills.
These legislators include senators on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) and Finance committees, House members on the Energy & Commerce, the Ways & Means, and the Education & Labor committees, and the Blue Dog Coalition.
It’s a long list, but it’s important we contact as many of these legislators as possible.
Please let us know if you need contact information for these legislators.
We developed the following sample messages you can use to contact these legislators. Please feel free to add your own words, which are always more effective than standardized messages. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) score, which is laid out descriptively rather than by numbers alone, is the most important point to get across.
Please include your contact information so you can follow up with the legislators. We’ll be in touch early next week with information about our plans for the August recess. Working together, we will make it affordable to care!
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
Mark-up on the CLASS Act is expected for July 8, so this is the major key group to contact now
“We urge you to support the inclusion of the CLASS Act (Title XXXII) in the Affordable Health Choices Act currently in mark-up. This new insurance program is fully paid by premiums. The CBO score (negative $57.8 billion over 10 years) clearly shows that this program will not cost the government a penny over the next 10 years, has a positive savings of $2.5 billion in Medicaid in the first 10 years alone, and is sustainable over the long term. This program would transform financing of long-term services and supports, assist America’s workers and future retirees, and promote choice and independence.”
Senate Finance Committee
“We urge you to include the CLASS Act, introduced by the HELP Committee, in the Affordable Health Choices Act (Title XXXII) in your committee’s health reform legislation when it is introduced. This program would transform financing of long-term services and supports, assist America’s workers and future retirees, and promote choice and independence. The CLASS Act was scored by CBO as sustainable for the long term, and because it is paid by premiums, the score (negative $57.8 billion) confirms that this program does not cost the government a penny over the next 10 years and has a positive savings of $2.5 billion in federal Medicaid dollars in the first 10 years alone.”
House Energy & Commerce, Ways & Means, and Education & Labor Committees:
“We urge you to support including the CLASS Act, H.R. 1721, in the Tri-Committee Health Care legislation. The CLASS Act was introduced by Representatives Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and John Dingell (D-Mich.), and is now part of the Senate HELP Committee’s Affordable Health Choices Act as Title XXXII. This new insurance program would transform the financing of long-term services and supports, assist America’s workers and future retirees, and promote choice and independence. The CBO score (negative $57.8 billion over 10 years) clearly shows that this premium insurance-based program is not a cost to the federal government, is sustainable over the long term, and actually saves $2.5 billion in federal Medicaid dollars in the first 10 years alone.”
Blue Dog Democrat Coalition
“We urge you to support including the CLASS Act, H.R. 1721, in the House’s health care legislation. The CLASS Act was introduced by Representatives Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and John Dingell (D-Mich.), and is now part of the Senate HELP Committee’s Affordable Health Choices Act as Title XXXII. This new insurance program would transform the financing of long-term services and supports, assist America’s workers and future retirees, and promote choice and independence. The CBO score (negative $57.8 billion over 10 years) clearly shows that this premium insurance based program is not a cost to the federal government, is sustainable over the long-term, and actually saves $2.5 billion in federal Medicaid dollars in the first 10 years alone.”
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I don’t have to tell you that health care reform is at a critical juncture. As you know, the Senate HELP Committee included the Community Living and Supportive Services Act (CLASS) Act in their health reform legislation. This decision affirms their commitment to the millions of people who need and provide long-term services and supports.
