I 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5187 
To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a 
commission that is designed to construct a comprehensive national strat-
egy on how to increase the affordability, accessibility, and effectiveness 
of long-term care and community services. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 29, 2010 
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida (for himself, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, 
Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. 
DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. FILNER, Ms. LEE of California, 
Mr. MEEK of Florida, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Ms. NORTON, Ms. RICH-
ARDSON, Mr. RUSH, and Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a pe-
riod to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for con-
sideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
to establish a commission that is designed to construct 
a comprehensive national strategy on how to increase 
the affordability, accessibility, and effectiveness of long- 
term care and community services. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Commission on Im-
proving Long-Term Care and Community Services Act of 
2010’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Long-term care refers to a broad range and 
network of health and social services that are used 
by persons who cannot care for themselves independ-
ently because of a physical, cognitive, or mental dis-
ability, or a combination thereof. 
(2) Well over 9,400,000 adults receive long- 
term care in the United States, and over 1,000,000 
children living in the community have long-term care 
limitations. 
(3) The number of people who are in need of 
long-term care is expected to grow due to the Na-
tion’s large aging population, longer life spans 
among the chronically ill and persons living with dis-
abilities, and the higher incidence of acquired dis-
abilities from unmanaged conditions such as heart 
and respiratory disease, obesity, stroke, and diabe-
tes. 
(4) Most people with long-term care needs pre-
fer to live at home and remain in their communities. 
These 
individuals 
receive 
assistance 
primarily 
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through informal caregivers, families, and friends 
who provide care without compensation. 
(5) Family caregivers can endure emotional and 
physical stress, and often make significant financial 
and career sacrifices to provide long-term care. 
(6) Formal providers range from institutional 
settings and other residential care facilities to a vari-
ety of agencies and organizations that provide a 
wide array of home and community-based services 
such as personal care, home-delivered meals pro-
grams, transportation, and adult day care programs. 
(7) Direct care workers provide the majority of 
paid long-term care services to individuals with long- 
term care limitations. Health care providers have ex-
pressed difficulty in attracting and retaining direct 
care workers and the demand for these workers is 
expected to increase. 
(8) Planning for long-term care expenses is an 
essential part of financial planning, however, most 
individuals and families do not plan for such ex-
penses. 
(9) Identifying and arranging for long-term 
care services can be a complex task for individuals 
and their families. Uneven distribution of services in 
communities and across States and United States 
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