Media Advisory
September 13, 2013
CONTACT:
Natasha Guynes cell: 202-224-0548
Natasha_Guynes@ltccommission.senate.gov
Federal Commission on Long-Term Care Announces Vote on Recommendations for Inclusion in Final Report
Fifteen member commission created by fiscal cliff law tasked with advising Congress on long-term care reform
Washington, DC - Yesterday the federal Commission on Long-Term Care completed its work on a package of recommendations to be included in its Final Report on long-term services and supports to be published by September 30. Per statutory requirements requiring a vote on September 12th, a majority of Commissioners from appointee offices on both sides of the political aisle voted in favor of a package of recommendations to be submitted to Congress, which seeks to renew a national discussion on addressing the issues and challenges that millions of Americans and their families face.
Since beginning its work on June 10th, the Commission developed a series of recommendations as well as potential financing frameworks reflecting the diversity of opinions on the Commission on how to best to deliver and finance needed long-term services and supports. The full list of ideas that were considered will appear as an appendix in the Final Report.
"This is an issue that has been brewing for decades," said Dr. Bruce Chernof, the Commission's Chair, "and this heterogeneous group had less than 100 days to craft solutions. I am pleased that a majority of the Commission has agreed on a number of thoughtful recommendations that serve as a launching pad for future action by Congress and the Administration. I hope both the bipartisan nature of this report and the suite of ideas garnering broad agreement dispels the myth that our nation's long-term care crisis is just too hard a problem to tackle. We must work to improve our approach to serving Americans with functional and cognitive limitations and their families, realizing that the time to act is now."
Vice Chair Dr. Mark Warshawsky said, "I am proud and impressed by the difficult, intelligent, and creative work done by my fellow Commissioners and staff leading to many recommendations that will significantly improve service delivery, workforce, and financing of long-term services and supports. I believe these improvements will enhance the system's efficiency. Although we could not come to a consensus on a central financing solution, we put forth many innovative ideas and two frameworks from which policymakers - cognizant of fiscal realities and prospects, and working in a bipartisan fashion - can craft a new approach combining private and public resources effectively and fairly."
Attached to this release is a topline summary of the recommendations for inclusion in the Final Report as well as a Call to Action statement by the Commission. The bi-partisan commission consists of 15 appointees - nine members appointed by Democratic Congressional leadership and the White House, and six members appointed by Republican leadership. In addition to Chernof and Warshawsky, the other appointees are: Javaid Anwar, Judith Brachman, Laphonza Butler, Henry Claypool, Judith Feder, Stephen Guillard, Chris Jacobs, Neil Pruitt, Carol Raphael, Lynnae Ruttledge, Judith Stein, Grace-Marie Turner, and George Vradenburg.
Listed below is the vote tally on the question, "Should the report be put forward as the broad agreement of the Commission?"
Yeas: Chernof, Warshawsky, Anwar, Brachman, Guillard, Pruitt, Raphael, Turner, and Vradenburg
Nays: Butler, Claypool, Feder, Jacobs, Ruttledge, and Stein
# # #
