I am pleased to provide this update of my recent legislative activities on behalf of seniors.  As most of us are keenly aware, the challenges of family care in an aging society are a reality of daily life for Americans as they seek or provide care for relatives or friends and as they think about their own long-term care options.  In California alone, an estimated 4 million people are family care givers, the highest number of care givers in any state in the nation. 

Families need better information and support to sustain them as they struggle to care for a loved one who needs help.  I am working for the passage of several bills to help seniors and the families who help to care for them.

The Americans Giving Care to Elders (AGE) Act of 2007, S.2267, aims to support family care givers by establishing a National Resource Center on Family Care Giving, increasing funding for the Older Americans Act’s National Family Care Giver Support Program, and establishing a tax credit to allow families to claim credit for up to $6,000 each year in expenses incurred in caring for an aging parent.  Recent research shows that about half of the families that care for a loved one 50 years or older spend $5,531 a year, on average, on out-of-pocket expenses.  This legislation would be an important step to help alleviate the financial burdens faced by many families who are caring for aging relatives.

The Long-Term Care Insurance Integrity Act of 2007, S.2268, which I cosponsor, would establish a third-party review board to address one of the most common complaints about private long-term care insurance policies: denial of appropriate and timely benefits by insurance companies.  Data collected by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners shows that nationwide complaints about private long-term care insurance rose 92 percent in just five years between 2001 and 2006.  This bill is modeled after the federal employees benefits system, which provides the option of having claims reviewed by a third-party independent board at no additional cost to the policyholder.

You can use the links at the right of this page to learn more about each of these bills.  In the meantime, you can count on me to continue my work to make sure our seniors have an adequate quality of life and receive quality care, and that their families have the resources they need to support their loved ones.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator