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Introduced March 11, 2025 by Thomas Suozzi · Last progress March 11, 2025
Creates a new federal long-term services and supports (LTSS) insurance benefit for people at retirement age who have a sustained, serious functional disability. It sets eligibility rules, a formula for monthly benefit amounts tied to the median cost of paid personal assistance, start-up appropriations and a dedicated trust fund, requirements for annual beneficiary reporting and wage/tax compliance for paid caregivers, and mandates public education, notices to individuals, program evaluations, and periodic reports on unmet LTSS needs.
The bill creates a federally administered long-term care benefit and trust with outreach and oversight that could substantially reduce individual LTSS costs and Medicaid pressure, but it raises federal spending and implementation burdens and leaves coverage gaps for some disabled and low‑work‑history individuals.
Seniors, people with disabilities, and many middle-class families would receive a dedicated federal long-term care benefit and trust fund support that reduces large out-of-pocket LTSS costs and lessens reliance on Medicaid.
Low-income beneficiaries would keep benefit payments excluded from income/resource tests, preserving eligibility for means‑tested programs like Medicaid and SNAP.
Seniors and near-retirees would get improved information and outreach (individualized notices, SSA account updates, and a $50M public education program) to help plan for LTSS and enrollment decisions.
Taxpayers and many beneficiaries would face higher federal spending, new premiums or taxes, or diverted funds, as the program and trust fund require initial appropriations and ongoing benefit outlays.
Younger disabled adults, low‑earners, career caregivers, and some retirees abroad could be excluded or receive reduced benefits because eligibility is tied to Social Security retirement age, residency rules, and prior work credits.
Establishing and rolling out a new federal program will impose significant administrative start-up, transitional, and recurring operational burdens on SSA, HHS, states, and providers that could slow benefit delivery and increase costs.