The Affordable Care Act (ACA) stipulates that by 2014, each state will have an “exchange,” a health insurance marketplace for individuals and small businesses.  Exchanges should provide many currently uninsured and underinsured Americans with an affordable way to obtain comprehensive health coverage.  According to the ACA, individuals can purchase coverage through their state exchange if their household income exceeds... 

On September 21, the Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act, HR 2883, overwhelmingly passed in House of Representatives. This bill amends title IV part B (Child and Family Services) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to extend through FY2016 the authorization of appropriations for the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare Services Program. It also revises requirements for child visitations by caseworkers.... 

September 23 marked the 18 – month anniversary since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). New census numbers showed 500,000 more young adults have insurance than last year because of the ACA provision that lets parents keep their children on their plans until they are 26 years old. In addition, 18.9 million seniors have already taken advantage of the free preventive care services provided by the ACA. NASW... 

– submitted by Luisa Lopez, MSW NASW Foundation Consultant http://www.socialworkers.org/practice/intl http://socialworkers.org/nasw/swan/default.asp It was a little over a year ago, January 2010, when NASW first worked with American International Health Alliance (AIHA) and social workers in Tanzania.  It is impressive to see the growth that has occurred since then.  I accompanied Dr. Jeane Anastas, NASW President,... 

UPDATE BELOW: On September 13, NASW staff members from the Human Rights and International Affairs department attended “The World at 7 Billion People,” an event sponsored by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), National Geographic, and other governmental organizations. In late October 2011, it is expected that the world’s population will reach 7 billion people. In light of this, the campaign promotes the idea... 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Children’s Bureau is sponsoring a webinar for home visiting programs and partner organizations Thursday, September 22, 2011, titled “Partnerships and Collaboration in Home Visiting:  Critical Issues in Serving Families with Substance Use Disorders”, for 3:00-4:30 pm EST/ 12:00-1:30 pm PST. The webinar intends to address issues regarding the important linkages... 

On September 14, the House Rules Committee filed a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government after the 2011 Fiscal Year expires on September 30th. The CR will run until November 18, 2011 and funds the government at a level of $1.043 trillion, as established by the Budget Control Act (the debt ceiling agreement). This spending level is about $7 billion – or 1.4% – less than FY2011 levels. The House and... 

On September 15, members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Congressional Black Caucus, and Congressional Hispanic Caucus  introduced the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2011, a bill that complements the efforts of the Affordable Care Act and focuses on eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities. The bill was introduced by social worker, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Chair of CAPAC’s... 

The first ever bipartisan congressional HIV/AIDS caucus officially launched on September 15, 30 years after the human immunodeficiency virus was first identified. The caucus is led by House members Jim McDermott (D-WA), Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Trent Franks (R-AZ).  Read More →

NASW Sends Letter to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction NASW recently sent a letter to the recently appointed 12 members of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction who will make recommendations on ways to increase revenues while reducing the deficit.  The Super Committee will determine which programs, both military and domestic, that will be included in a total of up to $1.5 trillion in cuts. In...