A bipartisan group of senators on Tuesday introduced a bill that would allow employees to pay long-term care insurance premiums with pre-tax dollars, CQ HealthBeat reports. Under the Long-Term Care Affordability and Security Act -- sponsored by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) -- employers could offer long-term care insurance under so-called cafeteria plans, which allow employees to select from a number of tax-exempt benefits, as well as flexible spending accounts.

The bill, which moves to the Senate Finance Committee for consideration, also would improve consumer protections for long-term insurance. Snowe in a statement said, "Just 10% of seniors have taken out a long-term care insurance policy, and only 7% of all private industry employees are offered long-term care insurance as a voluntary benefit." Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.) in August introduced a companion bill (HR 3363) in the House (Straus, CQ HealthBeat, 11/14).