The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Sen. Ted Kennedy will soon introduce a health care bill that will include coverage for long-term care.

Sen. Edward Kennedy plans a new disability-insurance program that would automatically enroll all American workers as part of the sweeping health-care bill he is preparing to introduce, aides said Friday.

Premiums would automatically be charged, and in many cases deducted from workers’ paychecks, unless they choose to opt out of the disability program. The idea is to give all workers a basic level of protection in case they become disabled. But it could draw complaints from people who see it as a de facto tax, given that few workers are expected to opt out.

On average, premiums could not exceed $65 per month, according to a Senate aide who described the provision in detail.

Participants would be entitled to a cash benefit of at least $50 a day if they become so disabled they cannot participate in at least two or three activities of daily living, such as eating, bathing or using the toilet. The money could be used for expenses to support staying in one’s home.

If all American workers participated, one estimate found that the program would collect $320 billion in its first year, the Senate aide said.

Kennedy’s father Joe you’ll recall suffered a stroke and was disabled for sometime with a broken body and a still sharp mind. His sister experienced a lobotomy and was institutionalized in Wisconsin. No doubt these life experiences have played a role in his passion for disability rights and his reported upcoming inclusion of long-term care financing reform as part of health care reform.