On March 10, 2010 NASW attended a fundraiser for the Honorable Chaka Fattah (D-PA) seeking his support for the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act (H.R.795).  Representative Fattah is a Member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee and without fail, embraces the mission of social work especially social service administration to underserved populations.  During the event, Representative Fattah spoke with conviction about the importance of social work to his congressional district (2^nd) and the measureable outcomes due to intervention that have dramatically improved the lives of many.  The Congressman also discussed his commitment to NASW’S education agenda.

Consistent with First Lady Michelle Obama’s campaign to confront the issue of childhood obesity, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions heard testimony on March 4, 2010, about the prevalence of obesity among America’s youth. Panelists included Dr. Regina Benjamin, U.S. Surgeon General; Dr. Joseph Thompson, Director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity; Dr. Sandra Hassink, Chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Obesity Leadership Workgroup; and Pittsburgh Steelers Running Back Rashard Mendenhall.

NASW recognizes childhood obesity as an major public health concern, with significant implications for future U.S. health care costs. Obese children are being diagnosed with health problems previously considered to be “adult” illnesses, such as Type II diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, and fatty liver disease. Overweight and obese children are at risk for a host of serious future illnesses, including heart disease, stroke, and certain types of cancer. Obesity and related complications disproportionately affect racial and ethnic minority children and children living in poverty.

NASW applauds Congress’ acknowledgment of this multi-dimensional issue and its efforts to address it. To view the hearing’s video and for more information, go to http://help.senate.gov/hearings/hearing/?id=059b63ce-5056-9502-5d89-33fed050a9f3.

Last week Congress halted the so-called Medicare “physician fee cut” that set Part B payment rates for clinical social workers and all independent Medicare outpatient providers with passage of an extension of Medicare physician payments at last year’s level through March 31.  On Wednesday, March 10, the Senate passed a critical extension of these  provisions (H.R. 4213).  Eight Republicans voted with Democrats to defeat a GOP filibuster of this measure. Similar legislation passed the House in December and a conference to reconcile their differences  is now required to enact this legislation.

H.R. 4213 extends the SGR component of the physician fee only through September 30. More importantly for CSWs, the bill retroactively restores a separate five-percent cut that hit Medicare psychotherapy rates on the first of this year. The proposed restoration of Medicare psychotherapy rates would apply to services delivered from January 1, through December 31. Since many private insurance plans pay social workers based on Medicare psychotherapy rates, this will benefit many clinical social workers in private practice.

The new Senate bill also includes a host of provisions unrelated to Medicare, including tax cut extenders and unemployment measures. Federal fiscal relief to help states with their escalating Medicaid expenditures is also included. This provision, called Medicaid FMAP extension, provides $25 billion in emergency Medicaid funds sought by President Obama and supported by NASW.

NASW expects to begin work on new legislation making a long-term correction of Medicare psychotherapy rates as soon as H.R. 4213 is signed into law.

For background on the complex issues involving clinical social fees, see NASW’s advocacy blog posts here.

On March 2, over 80 congressional staff and interested organizations participated in the 6^th annual Public Health Briefing 101 entitled, Building Capacity to Meet America’s Mounting Health Needs hosted by the Coalition for Health Funding.   The briefing provided information about the public health continuum and its needs.  NASW was a cosponsor of the briefing.  To view the presentation of the briefing speakers, go to: http://www.aamc.org/advocacy/healthfunding/congressionalbriefing.htm

Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius is scheduled to testify before the Senate Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee on Wednesday, March 10 at 2 p.m. in Room 124 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The hearing can be viewed live via webcast from the Senate Appropriations page.  Additional information is available at: http://appropriations.senate.gov/news.cfm?method=news.view&id=16c07802-c2f8-4485-9315-640f25ea7a81

March is Women’s History Month and NASW’S longstanding advocacy as well as success on women’s issues prompted an invitation from the Women in Politics Institute to attend a panel discussion and reception acknowledging the contributions of women in government, including those within the Obama Administration.  The event will occur on March 23, 2010 at the Katzen Arts Center on the campus of American University located in Washington, D.C.  Invited guests include the following luminaries: The Honorable Melanne Verveer, Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, U.S. Department of State, Tina Tchen, Director, White House Office of Public Engagement and Anita McBride, Former Chief of Staff to First Lady Laura Bush.

2009 Rates extended until March 31

NASW was pleased with the announcement yesterday that the Census Bureau has created a supplemental poverty measure. The measure will use the best new data and methodologies to obtain an improved understanding of the economic well-being of American families and of how federal policies affect those living in poverty.

The current poverty level is determined by a family’s cash income and the cost of food. Since food has become a smaller share of a family’s income, it has become outdated. The supplemental poverty measure takes into account more variables such as location, housing, medication, utilities and child care.

The supplemental poverty measure does not replace the existing poverty measure, which will still be used to determine program eligibility for programs like SNAP (food stamps), Medicaid, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

The National Academies of Science have long advocated an alternative poverty measure. A report released in 1995 called for an alternative poverty measure.

On February 23, 2010 NASW attended a fundraiser for the Honorable Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD.) to discuss his support for the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act (H.R.795).  Representative Cummings, while conveying the significance of social work within the 7^th Congressional District, specified how instrumental the profession is to the alleviation of poverty as well as how social workers help to eradicate dire circumstances on behalf of underserved communities.  In addition, the Congressman proudly articulated the contributions of the Morgan State University School of Social Work, especially their efforts in improving the education system in Baltimore city and the tireless work of social workers throughout human service agencies, especially during an austere economic climate.

Today the President’s Middle Class Task Force released its annual report with significant recommendations that would provide support for families.   Chaired by Vice-President Joe Biden with social worker Dr. Jared Bernstein serving as Executive Director, recommendations were categorized in the following four areas:

• Protecting Workers and Creating Middle Class Jobs
• Retirement Security
• Balancing Work and Family Responsibilities
• Pathways to the Middle Class
  

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) enthusiastically supports the recommendations of the Task Force and wrote a letter, along with a number of other groups, specifically regarding “Helping Families Balance Work and Caregiving Obligations.” The proposed policies in this area supported our own suggestions and experience in working with families who care for their older relatives.

In 2006 and 2008, NASW, in partnership with the New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM), conducted research focusing particularly on sandwich generation women (SGW) who were between the ages of 35 and 54 and caring for their own children and aging relatives. Key findings from our surveys support the need for the expanding the Dependent Care Tax Credit, which has only been raised once in 28 years, as well as expanding the $102.5 million Caregiver Initiative, which provides resources for respite care, transportation, and assistance with activities of daily living.

To see all of the letters on this issue, click here.  For more information on the Middle Class Task Force, go to www.astrongmiddleclass.gov.