Topic: Health — Long-term Care
Subject: Health
Date: 2012-08-02 00:00:00

Medicaid Long-Term Care Reform Act of 2012 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) Congress should repeal the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act (CLASS Act); (2) federal and state governments should work to reduce the number of middle-income individuals who will rely on Medicaid to finance their long-term care (LTC) needs; and (3) the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) should comply with the annual reporting requirements under the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 relating to LTC insurance partnerships, and promote discussion about the consequences that families and states might encounter if nothing is done to change the trajectory of projected state and federal spending on LTC services under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA). Directs the Secretary to provide to states: (1) technical assistance on the implementation and administration of qualified state LTC insurance partnerships, and (2) information on best practices for such partnerships to reduce future state and federal expenditures on LTC services under Medicaid. Directs the Secretary to: (1) provide technical assistance to states on requirements related to the mandate to seek recoveries from estates, and (2) hold an annual event to assist states in evaluating methods of implementing such requirements and exchanging best practices information on them. Amends the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to direct the Secretary, acting through the National Clearing House for Long-Term Care, to establish a public-private initiative to coordinate among the Clearinghouse, state governments, and relevant nongovernmental entities for: (1) increasing the number of targeted middle-income individuals who receive consumer education with respect to long-term care under Medicaid and SSA title XVIII (Medicare), (2) enhancing the quality of information that targeted consumers receive, and (3) improving the accessibility of such information for consumers who seek it. Expands Clearinghouse duties to include educating consumers with respect to the availability and limitations of Medicare coverage for long-term care. Directs the Secretary to: (1) evaluate methods to expand LTC insurance coverage for middle-income individuals through the State Long-Term Care Partnership Program for improving their retirement security and LTC options; (2) solicit and evaluate ideas from stakeholders on policy options to reduce such expenditures; and (3) study the effectiveness of certain federal laws relating to treatment of assets for purposes of determining eligibility for Medicaid long-term care, estate recovery under Medicaid, the look-back period for transfers of assets for purposes of Medicaid eligibility, and the disqualification of individuals with substantial home equity for LTC assistance under Medicaid. Directs the Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to report to Congress on: (1) the projection of the number of middle-income people who will rely on Medicaid to finance their LTC needs, (2) an estimate of the cost of reliance on Medicaid to state and federal governments, (3) an estimate of the change in the cost that would result from certain policy options such as reduction in the home equity exemption, and (4) the estimate of the change in the cost estimate that would result if each such policy option were adopted and funding for LTC services under Medicaid is provided to states through a block grant.