Late entries. (bills dealing with elderly care and related news) (column)

Your conscientious U.S. Representatives and Senators continued to introduce legislation up to the very end of the 100th Congress. Why, since there is no time to enact a bill introduced two months before session's end? One can explain a late intro as "maintaining continuity of issue study" or, to quote Rep. Willis Gradison, Jr., "to add to the debate and offer new ideas for discussion." But we all know the real reason: the main event of this period is an election.

There were at least four bills dealing with care of the elderly.

Reps. Gradison (R-Oh.) and Barbara Kennelly (D-Ct.) introduced the LongTerm -Care Insurance Promotion Act of 1988 (H.R. 5145). First, it would align tax treatment of long-term-care insurance with that now accorded accident, health, and life insurance plans. Second, individuals would benefit from a tax credit on purchase of long-term-care insurance. Third, it would allow individuals over 50 to purchase LTCI with IRA money without penalty, and permit tax-free transfer of money from life insurance, endowments, or annuity contracts into purchase of LTCI.

Gradison, like Health & Human Services Secretary Otis R. Bowen, maintains that a partnership of public and private resources is necessary to found an LTCI system.

Sen. John Melcher(D-Mont.),a candidate for re-election, introduced S . 267 1. It would establish grants to the states to begin and operate long-term-care assistance programs - i.e., alternatives to nursing home care. Those are home care, adult day care, and respite care. General definitions, eligibility criteria, and state controls are provided for. Unfortunately, this bill didn't do its political job; Republican Conrad Bums unseated Melcher. Perhaps the bill will rise again.

Rep. Edward R. Roybal (D-Cal.), …