Health care law

Now that the Obama administration has chosen not to implement the unworkable long-term care provision of the national health care law, the House move to repeal the provision makes sense.

The legislation included a plan to provide long-term care insurance to Americans, known as the Community Living Assistance Services and Support program, or CLASS Act. The voluntary program would have provided at least $50 a day to help elderly Americans pay for care either at home or in a nursing home. Premiums would have been paid through payroll deductions.

However, the administration suspended plans to implement CLASS after it could not certify that it would be financially solvent, or operate without taxpayer support, for up to 75 years. Without enrollment by a large number of people, premiums would have been unaffordable for those who did participate, which could lead to mandatory participation to reduce premiums and keep the plan solvent.

But CLASS is still part of the law. Republicans, with some Democratic support, voted to repeal it. The White House opposes the idea, which could be seen as a step toward dismantling the entire health care law.

Repealing CLASS would be a reasonable step.