Take Action – Ask Your Senators to Vote for S. 3335 on the Floor The U.S. Senate may consider legislation to improve insurance coverage for mental health and addiction treatment as early as tomorrow, Tuesday, July 29. Please phone your Senators with the quick message below urging them to support this critical mental health and addictions treatment legislation. Background: The Senate leadership has added the mental... 

Colleagues, NASW is pleased to forward this notice regarding an historic milestone for the profession. The US House Healthy Families and Communities Sub-committee of the Health and Labor Committee will hold a hearing on Tuesday, July 29, 3:00pm EDST, Room 2175 Rayburn House Office Building. The hearing is entitled, “Caring for the Vulnerable: The State of Social Work in America.” We understand the... 

Take Action! A crucial Senate floor vote on Medicare legislation is expected on Sunday, June 29. Email your Senators now, urging them to support “cloture” on HR. 6331. Send the message below to support passage of this important bill for clinical social workers. Simply enter your zip code and send this preformed letter. Message: I am writing as a constituent, professional social worker, and member of the National... 

Yesterday we asked you to contact your Members of Congress about H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008. Thanks to those of you who responded, we won the vote 355-59. We only needed 290 votes to win. [Click here for more information on the Victory]  Read More →

Background The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued seven Medicaid regulations that will significantly cut Medicaid payments for social work and other services to vulnerable Medicaid clients. The regulations are an attempt to implement Medicaid cuts proposed in the Bush Administration’s Fiscal Year 2008 Budget. Recently, Representatives John Dingell (D-MI) and Timothy Murphy (R-PA) introduced... 

Thanks for your help! Your advocacy efforts worked to pass the College Opportunity and Affordability Act (H.R. 4137), also known as the Higher Education Act or “HEA”, out of the House in an overwhelming vote (354 to 58) on February 7. The bill would fully reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA) for the first time since 1998 and includes loan forgiveness for national need occupations, clarifies appropriate... 

Leaders of the House Education and Labor Committee announced that they expect the House to vote on the College Opportunity and Affordability Act (H.R. 4137) on Thursday, Feb. 7. The legislation reauthorizes the Higher Education Act (HEA), which sets financial aid policy for students for the next five years. The bill provides loan forgiveness for national need occupations, clarifies appropriate financial aid professional/lender... 

ACTION NEEDED The Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to begin consideration of Medicare legislation on Wednesday, December 5th.  It is very important that Finance Committee members hear now from social workers supporting three changes in Medicare law: Remove clinical social work (CSW) services from the Medicare skilled nursing facilities (SNF) consolidated payment system, permitting CSWs to bill Medicare separately,... 

BackgroundCongress is currently considering legislation to extend Medicaid coverage for youth who age out of foster care. The  Medicaid Foster Care Coverage Act of 2007 (H.R. 1376) will address ways to provide Medicaid coverage for youth who exit the foster care system without a permanent family unit. There are currently 25,000 youth aging out of the foster care system every year who have a variety of unaddressed... 

Background On October 18th 2007, the House Committee on Education and Labor, by a vote of 27-21 passed the Employment Non Discrimination Act (H.R.3685). This historic legislation providing workplace protections on the basis of sexual orientation has left committee and will likely face a floor vote this week. HR.3685 is identical to the long supported H.R.2015, with the notable exception of protections based on gender...