Although the Department of Health and Human Services denies the CLASS office is closing, many question what will happen to the CLASS Act, following a reduction of the CLASS Office’s staff and an email that leaked last week from the CLASS Office’s actuary claiming that the CLASS Office will close down.
The speculation began when Bob Yee, the CLASS Act Office’s lead actuary, announced his departure in an email to colleagues. “I’m leaving my position as the CLASS Office actuary as HHS has decided to close down the CLASS office effective tomorrow,” wrote Yee. The office had also reassigned much of its staff. However, the Department of Health and Human Services responded by calling reports that the CLASS Act Office was closing “flat out false,” and in a follow up interview Bob Yee clarified his previous statements. “My understanding is they’re slowing down the development,” Bob Yee explained. “They’re taking a pause and reducing the amount of work being done.”
Many members of Congress are still fighting for the law. “Obviously the administration has put some kind of hold on it,” said Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), “I’m going to try to find out why, but beyond that I’m going to continue to press them to implement it as soon as possible because it makes sense.”
Read the Policy Perspectives’ post on the issue, Future Looks Dim for CLASS ACT, as well as the Hill’s article “Dem Lawmakers to Fight for CLASS Health Program’s Survival.”
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