IV
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 37
Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to promoting coverage of
individuals under long-term care insurance.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 14, 2001
Mr. SHAYS (for himself, Mr. GREENWOOD, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. RAMSTAD, Mr.
NORWOOD, Mr. WHITFIELD, Mr. HOBSON, Mrs. MALONEY of New York,
Mr. DAVIS of Florida, Mr. NADLER, Mr. GOODE, Mr. BALDACCI, Mr.
ENGLISH, Mr. LAFALCE, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mrs.
KELLY, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. FARR of California, Mr. FROST, Mr. DOYLE,
Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. BARCIA, Mr. TANNER, Mr.
DEUTSCH, Mr. WATKINS, Mr. MCNULTY, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. MCGOV-
ERN, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. PHELPS, Mrs. MORELLA, Mr. COSTELLO, Mr.
SUNUNU, Mr. GANSKE, Ms. HART, Ms. BERKLEY, Mr. BASS, Mr. FOLEY,
Mrs. NORTHUP, Mrs. LOWEY, and Mr. SIMMONS) submitted the following
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy
and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the
Workforce, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to promoting
coverage of individuals under long-term care insurance.
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring),
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following:
•HCON 37 IH
(1) As the baby boom generation begins to re-
tire, funding Social Security and Medicare will put
a strain on the financial resources of younger Ameri-
cans.
(2) Medicaid was designed as a program for the
poor, but in many States Medicaid is being used for
middle income elderly people to fund long-term care
expenses.
(3) In the coming decade, people over age 65
will represent up to 20 percent or more of the popu-
lation, and the proportion of the population com-
posed of individuals who are over age 85, who are
most likely to be in need of long-term care, may dou-
ble or triple.
(4) With nursing home care now costing
$40,000 to $50,000 on average per year, long-term
care expenses can have a catastrophic effect on fami-
lies, wiping out a lifetime of savings before a spouse,
parent, or grandparent becomes eligible for Med-
icaid.
(5) Many people are unaware that most long-
term care costs are not covered by Medicare and
that Medicaid covers long-term care only after the
person’s assets have been exhausted.
•HCON 37 IH
Medicaid covers long-term care costs only when the
beneficiary has exhausted his or her assets;
(3) the Federal Government should take all ap-
propriate steps not only to encourage employers to
offer private long-term care insurance coverage to
employees, but also to encourage both working-aged
people and older citizens to obtain long-term care in-
surance either through their employers or on their
own;
(4) appropriate committees of Congress, to-
gether with the Department of Health and Human
Services and other appropriate Executive Branch
agencies, should develop specific ideas for encour-
aging Americans to plan for their own long-term
care needs; and
(5) the congressional tax-writing committees,
together with the Department of the Treasury
should determine whether the tax rules for long-term
care insurance need to be modified to ensure that
the rules adequately facilitate the affordability of
long-term care insurance.
Æ