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Contact your Representative today about signing on as a cosponsor to H.R. 5040, the “HIT Extension for Behavioral Health Services Act.”

Background

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) has introduced bi-partisan legislation along with Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA), a clinical psychologist, called the Health Information Technology Extension for Behavioral Health Services Act of 2010 (H.R. 5040). The bill, introduced on April 15, 2010, would extend the new Medicare and Medicaid “meaningful use” incentive payments established under the HITECH Act within the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to clinical social workers and other mental health and substance abuse providers and facilities.

ARRA provides $20 billion in incentives and grants to health care providers and hospitals to establish interoperable electronic health record (EHR) systems throughout the nation. Medicare and Medicaid ARRA payment incentives are available to most physicians, chiropractors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists and hospitals.  However, Congress excluded from eligibility behavioral health providers, as well as most non-physician practitioners, because of cost concerns when the law was enacted in 2009. Among those providers who would be eligible for the payments under Rep. Kennedy’s H.R. 5040 are clinical social workers, clinical psychologists, psychiatric hospitals, substance use treatment facilities and mental health treatment facilities.

As enacted, ARRA establishes a vast national EHR system that excludes the electronic patient records of clinical social workers’ and other behavioral health providers. If the current law’s deficiency is not corrected, the behavioral health records of many consumers will likely remain in paper form and therefore less accessible to other health care providers. Nevertheless, there is a high risk that excluded providers would be compelled to use electronic health records systems to participate within commercial provider networks and to obtain EHR information from covered physicians and facilities. NASW is a supporter of strong patient privacy protections established within ARRA, and also believes that quality of care will likely be seriously compromised if the records of clinical social workers and other behavioral health providers remain excluded from developing EHR systems.

Details on H.R. 5040

NASW believes it is essential to integrate care delivered by clinical social workers with other behavioral health and medical providers, and this legislation will be an important priority for enactment. The Health Information Technology Extension for Behavioral Health Services Act would:

• Clarify the definition “health care provider” throughout the HITECH/ARRA Act to include clinical social workers and psychologists, substance abuse professionals, psychiatric hospital, behavioral and mental health clinics, and substance use treatment facilities.
• Establish grants for those mental health treatment facilities not eligible for meaningful use incentives through the HITECH/ARRA Act. The grants allow for purchasing certified EHRs, training medical staff in the use of EHRs, and improving the exchange of health information between mental health providers and other health care providers.

Extend Medicare and Medicaid payment incentives for meaningful use of EHRs to clinical social workers and psychologists, psychiatric hospitals, mental health treatment facilities, and substance abuse treatment facilities.

Democrats Regroup on Strategy for Health Care Reform

Democratic congressional leaders are currently developing a new strategy to pass health care reform after the stunning loss of a Senate seat in Massachusetts. Although their new strategy will be finalized after some days have elapsed and is not yet final, several conclusions are apparent from their public comments. First, Democrats fear that failing to enact the health care bill now could increase voter anger later in this election year. Second, many legislative strategists prefer what is described as a two-bill strategy, one immediately following the next.

Under the two-bill strategy, the first step would require House passage of the Senate health bill (HR. 3590). Getting to majority House support for this bill (at least 218 votes) is extremely difficult because many Democrats have important differences with provisions in the Senate bill. Democratic House leaders say they do not now have the necessary votes to pass the Senate measure. The second bill would be necessary to secure the necessary votes in the House for the first bill. The second bill would be considered under procedures known as budget reconciliation.  This bill would include many compromises and changes to the Senate bill. The reconciliation measure would also include any provisions negotiated with the White House and Senate leaders. The two-bill option has important legislative advantages. Most importantly, any bill taken up under reconciliation procedures may move under fast-track floor procedures in the House and Senate, and passage requires 51 votes in the Senate, instead of a filibuster-proof 60 votes.

Another strategy would involve going back to the drawing board and breaking the bill into smaller components, passing those where there is more agreement. Given this highly fluid political environment, NASW will continue to press for its legislative priorities as Congress debates a new approach. Our current Action Alert is here, and we urge members to track our actions here.

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Parity Update

The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) became effective for most private health plans on January 1, 2010, but federal agency regulations defining how it will be interpreted have not been cleared by the Administration. Thus health insurance carriers, which must have their 2010 plan benefits in compliance in the absence of any regulations, may be uncertain or confused about exactly what mental health and substance abuse benefits are required to be equivalent to medical and surgical benefits they offer.

According to a HHS/CMS website here, the now current federal law applies to two different types of coverage:

• 1) Large group self-funded group health plans (CMS has jurisdiction over self-funded public sector (non-federal governmental) plans, while the Department of Labor has jurisdiction over private sector self-funded group health plans.

• 2) Large group fully insured group health plans.

Some state’s insurance regulations may also contain additional coverage protections for fully insured group health plans or individual coverage. MHPAEA is designed to prevent large group health plans from imposing financial requirements and treatment limitations on mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) benefits that are more restrictive than financial requirements and treatment limitations on medical/surgical benefits.  MHPAEA also prevents large group health plans from placing annual or lifetime dollar limits on mental health and substance abuse benefits that are lower than annual or lifetime dollar limits for medical/surgical benefits offered under the plan.

The law does not apply to small group health plans or health insurance coverage in the individual (non-employment based) market, but individual state law may require mental health parity in such cases. MHPAEA defines large group health plans as those with more than 50 workers and does not apply to group health plans sponsored by employers with fewer than 51 workers. Federal summary information about the law is available here and NASW has prepared its own summary, posted here and shown under January 2009.

Employment Non-Discrimination Act

NASW continues to work diligently on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (H.R.3017/S.1584).  With 194 sponsors in the House of Representatives and 44 in the Senate, E.N.D.A. has begun to attract enormous attention.  The Employment Non-Discrimination Act is dedicated to the principle that every worker should be judged solely on his or her merits.  Further, hardworking Americans should not be kept from supporting their families and making a positive contribution to the economic life of our nation due characteristics that have no bearing whatsoever on their acumen to do a job.  The Association remains allied with traditional civil rights groups who affirm that inequality and discrimination subvert the principles of Democracy.

Political Climate
Despite the many twists and turns health care reform has taken in the past several months, we are not necessarily closer to a solution in mid-December than we were in mid-September.  The Senate still has not completed its own bill, and is trying to write legislation that can earn 60 votes.  Once they do so, a conference between House and Senate negotiators will have to occur in order to send a single bill to President Obama.  At this point, no one can guarantee when such a conference will take place.  The cause of this delay is simple: for all the attention rightfully placed on abortion-related aspects of the discussion, there is still no agreement on the fundamental way in which more Americans would receive health care coverage.  Many reasonable approaches have been mentioned in the Senate, including expansion of Medicare and a public option.  But one week before Christmas Day, there is still no single plan that has garnered the support of 60 Senators.  Until that happens, there can be no conference with the House and thus no bill for President Obama to sign into law.NASW has called on its members to contact their Senators to support the bill (H.R. 3590), and a link to our most recent action alert is here. NASW has written to Majority Leader Reid supporting the Senate reform bill, and a copy may be viewed on the NASW Web site.

Reinvestment for Educators
NASW President Jim Kelly, Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors President Freddie Avant, and Action Network for Social Work Education and Research Chair Jeane Anastas, recently filmed a video regarding “Reinvestment for Educators” to discuss why the Social Work Reinvestment Initiative is important for social work educators. The bill will support recruitment of new social work students, retain experienced social workers, and fund social work education and research. To view the full legislation, please click here. After viewing the video, please send a letter of support to your Representative and Senators.

Social Work Medicare Equity Act in Health Care Reform
Section 1307 of the House health care reform bill (H.R. 3200) authorizes clinical social workers eligible to participate under Medicare Part B to bill independently for services to Medicare Part A covered residents of Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs). The provision removes Part B-eligible clinical social work services from the Medicare SNF per diem rate and alternatively authorizes them to bill for them separately. This is a long-sought change by NASW that will expand the availability of clinical social work services to SNF residents covered by Medicare Part A and provide parity recognition for the profession in a SNF setting. The Senate version of health care reform legislation (H.R. 3590) does not contain a similar provision, and this difference must be ironed out in conference committee on the legislation. NASW is working with House and Senate offices to support the provision when conference committee consideration begins.

SWRA Provisions Advance on Health Care Reform
There are several provisions within Health care reform legislation, H.R. 3590, which advance the Social Work Reinvestment Act (SWRA).  Related provisions are contained in the House-passed measure, H.R. 3200. The Senate bill includes the following key provisions addressing social work professional education and training needs:

• Sec. 3508 - Establishes a demonstration program to integrate quality improvement and patient safety training into clinical education of health professionals. Schools of social work are among the eligible grantees.

• Sec. 5101 - Creates a National health care workforce commission tasked with reviewing health care workforce and projected workforce needs. The needs of the social work profession are among those that would be considered by the Commission and schools of social work also have representation.

• Sec. 5102 - Creates state health care workforce development competitive grants to s. enabling State partnerships to complete comprehensive planning and to carry out activities leading to coherent and comprehensive health care workforce development strategies at the State and local levels. All health professions are eligible for state planning attention, including social work.

• Sec. 5203 - Establishes health and behavioral health workforce loan repayment programs for pediatric subspecialists and providers of mental and behavioral health services to children and adolescents who are or will be working in a Health Professional Shortage Area, Medically Underserved Area, or with a medically underserved population.

• Sec. 5305 - Authorizes funding for geriatric education and training; career awards; comprehensive geriatric education to advanced practice nurses, clinical social workers, pharmacists, and psychologists.

• Sec. 5306 - Awards to mental and behavioral health education and training grants to schools for the development, expansion, or enhancement of training programs in social work, graduate psychology, professional training in child and adolescent mental health, and pre-service or in-service training to paraprofessionals in child and adolescent mental health.

• Section 756 of the Public Health Services Act is amended to include language regarding the qualifications of institutions eligible for these training grants and that at least four will go to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) or Minority Serving Institutions (MSI).  Authorization for up to $8 million in funds is provided for social work.

Medicare MD & MSW Fee Schedule Update
Clinical social workers that participate in Medicare Part B will have their payment rates temporarily protected against large cuts scheduled for 2010 because Congress acted on a short-term bill to delay the cut required by the flawed sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula, which determines outpatient payment rates in Medicare and TRICARE. The SGR formula is frequently inappropriately described as the Medicare “physician fee” formula, but it actually sets the rate of increase or decrease for all Medicare Part B independent practitioners, including clinical social workers. NASW supports legislation that would halt scheduled cuts in Medicare payments to clinical social workers and other health professionals and has urged Congress to adopt legislation to recalibrate how these payments are set each year. See NASW’s letter to Congress here.

Correcting the problem before the rate cuts go into effect on Jan. 1, each year is politically difficult due to the multi-billion dollar costs of correcting the formula. Current law requires large annual reductions in Medicare SGR determined fees, which include rates paid to clinical social workers. Congress rejected several earlier SGR bills this fall, but then passed an eight week extension into February, enabling it to address the payment problem once it finishes work on health care reform. NASW is continuing to work with coalition partners in support of an SGR remedy.

Appropriations Bill Funds Study on Mental Workforce Issues
During the week of December 9, Congress finished the annual appropriations bill for the federal FY 2010, Labor-HHS-Education spending bill, which is available on the House Appropriations website. One item of special interest to the social work profession is the inclusion of $900,000 for the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to study mental health workforce needs focused on (1) a systematic analysis of the current and projected mental and behavioral healthcare needs of the American people, particularly for aging and growing ethnic populations; and (2) developing policy recommendations for achieving a competent and well-trained mental health workforce to address those needs.  Congressional authors justified the study as necessary in light of the projected doubling of the aged population by 2030, new evidence of the importance of addressing mental health needs as part of effective chronic disease management, increased numbers of veterans with post traumatic stress disorder, improved diagnostic techniques, and implementation of the new federal mental health parity law. The study expands on IOM’s 2008 broader study on the geriatric workforce, which did not explore mental health workforce needs in depth. NASW worked with other mental health professional groups to support this funding in the new law, and will advocate vigorously for the representation of the social work profession in the work of the IOM.

Health Legislation Prospects for 2010
At the start of the new year, Congress is not expected to consider major new health legislation, but congressional committees will consider routine health legislation, particularly those bills that were set aside last year to make time for health reform legislation. These include the 21st Century Cancer ALERT Act, reauthorization of HHS/Public Health Service programs under the jurisdiction of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Furthermore, congressional oversight of new federal programs to promote the use of health information technology (HIT) and to protect confidential patient information is expected to be a priority. NASW will represent clinical social worker interests to ensure the profession is included for all Medicare HIT incentive payments and that psychotherapy notes are protected in federal privacy regulations.
Congress also faces a variety of funding challenges to implement health care reform, particularly programs that support the education and training of the health professions. NASW will aggressively pursue expanded federal support for the social work profession in these federal initiatives. As in past years, Congress has not settled on a long-term solution to the Medicare physician payment formula, which also determines the payment rate for clinical social workers and all the health professions that directly bill Medicare Part B.  NASW will continue to advocate for adequate payment rates for the profession during this protracted debate. NASW members who wish to stay informed about health and behavioral health developments in the new Congress should follow NASW’s webpage.

NIH Approves New Stem Cell Lines
On December 2, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) approved 13 new human embryonic stem cell lines for use by NIH funded researchers. Another 96 embryonic stem cell lines are undergoing NIH review. In March, President Obama expanded the number of such cell lines beyond those available under a policy set by President George W. Bush, which permitted research to begin only with lines already available on Aug. 9, 2001. To read more, go to the NIH press release.

Needle and Syringe Exchanges Ban Lifted
On December 13, the Senate passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of FY2010 by a vote of 57 - 35.  The President is expected to sign the bill before the continuing resolution expires.  Among many other important provisions, the bill removes the federal funding ban on syringe exchange. The provision allows the distribution of syringes through syringe exchange as long as local public health or local law enforcement authorities do not object to a specific location as being inappropriate for distribution.

NASW Supports Child Welfare Workforce Improvement Act
On November 30, NASW sent a letter to Senator Blanche Lincoln (AR) thanking her for introducing S. 2837 the Child Welfare Workforce Improvement Act. The bill will help ensure a workforce that can accurately assess the strengths and needs of children and families, connect children and their families to services, monitor their progress, and improve outcomes for children. NASW sent an alert to the Advocacy Listserv looking for cosponsors.

Immigration Bill Introduced in House
Representative Luis Gutierrez (IL-4) introduced immigration legislation, Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity (H.R. 4321), in the House on December 15. Congress is beginning to shape the immigration debate with the introduction of this bill and NASW is developing our strategy. You can view the bill here. Immigration will be an important issue tackled in 2010.

Veteran’s Affairs
Recently, we heard from a member of NASW who is an MSW student and a veteran who recently returned from Afghanistan.  He hoped to find a mental health counselor who was both a veteran and a social worker.  While he strongly supports the work of all social workers, he wanted to find one who could directly relate to his experience in war.  The Veterans Administration in his area was unable to locate such a person for him, and other non-VA efforts came up empty as well.

This is a clear connection between member needs and NASW advocacy.  Veterans represent a constituency who may choose to enter social work to benefit both their peers and other members of society, but only if there is a distinct path for them to do so.  Thus, NASW has intensified its focus on veteran’s issues.  This improvement is meant to benefit not just veterans, but the field of social work as well.

House Passes Health Care Reform Legislation

In an historic vote, the House passed major health care reform legislation on November 7, with a vote of 220-215. NASW strongly supports the health care reform bill (H.R. 3962), which included a Medicare provision allowing clinical social workers to bill independently for serving certain nursing home residents. A copy of NASW’s endorsement letter highlighting provisions of great concern to social workers is linked here.

Abortion Emerges as Major Controversy in Reform

During negotiations leading up to passage, a new unsettled question arose over whether consumers who buy insurance without any government subsidy will be able to obtain insurance that covers abortion services through the federal insurance exchange established in the bill.

Abortion rights advocates and opponents agree the House language spearheaded by Bart Stupak, D-MI, would restrict access to abortion procedures for consumers who receive subsidies to buy insurance in a reconfigured health care system. Anti-abortion groups say the amendment explicitly bars private insurers from including abortion coverage in plans they sell in the exchange to consumers who pay the premiums out of pocket, but pro-choice organizations are very concerned the new language goes much further and threatens the availability of private insurance coverage for these services. NASW opposes the Stupak amendment and is working with pro-choice groups to eliminate it in the Senate and final bill. The Senate will begin consideration of health reform legislation next week, and differences between the House and Senate version will ultimately be worked out in a conference committee.

NASW Acts on New Medicare Provider Enrollment Barrier

NASW plans to join with a large coalition of medical and health care practitioner groups to urge the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, (CMS) to halt implementation of a new payment policy affecting clinical social workers and other health professionals that bill independently under Medicare Part B. The new administrative barrier concerns PECOs, a database that clinical social workers will soon be required to enroll in as a condition of participation in Medicare Part B. In 2003, Medicare switched to the new PECOS database for Medicare providers.  Recently Medicare claims have been denied for any provider who is not in the PECOS system, although practitioners were not told they needed to re-enroll as Medicare providers so they could be in the PECOS system.  There are nearly 800,000 Medicare providers, but only over 500,000 have enrolled in PECOS up to the present.  The remaining 300,000 providers must re-enroll and get revalidated.  This process is similar to many insurance company processes and is long and cumbersome.  Claims by these 300,000 providers are now being denied and electronic claims are being denied immediately.  Those submitting paper claims are not being paid, but without explanation.

FTC Red Flags Rule Enforcement Delayed

The FTC has announced that it is again delaying enforcement of the “Identity Theft Red Flags” Rule” until June 1, 2010. The rules would have directly affected clinical social workers in small private and group practices. One of the controversial aspects of the Rule was its applicability to health care professionals, particularly small or solo practitioners.  The Rule has been delayed previously on two separate occasions.  NASW provided information about the identity theft regulations in the June 2009 LDF Legal Issue of the Month and the article may be accessed here.

As the regulatory situation has grown more difficult, a number of health and other professionals have approached Congress seeking a legislative solution. Congress has responded with quick movement on a bill, H.R. 3763, which would exclude licensed health practitioners with fewer than 20 people in a practice from reporting under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and from the Red Flags Rule. The bill was introduced in the House and passed the floor a brief three weeks after introduction. It is now pending before the Senate where momentum could slow down in response to the FTC’s action postponing implementation of the regulation. More information is available at an FTC website here.

NASW Calls for Increased Mental Health Funding

The National Association of Social Workers has joined with the Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG), a coalition of national organizations representing the diverse mental health advocacy community, in calling for higher federal funding levels for mental health services, supports and research.  The coalition argues that higher federal funding levels are essential to meet the extraordinary mental health needs of communities throughout the nation, which are especially strained by the extraordinary economic crisis. NASW and MHLG called on the Congress to go above the Administration’s proposed increases for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which includes funding for the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

In a coalition letter signed by NASW, the group called for funding increases in overlooked federal mental health programs, including increases for the mental health block grant and consumer-centered programs, among others, whose funding levels have remained stagnant for nearly a decade.  NASW and the coalition are pursuing a comprehensive funding approach, advocating for a broad array of services and supports to address the needs of all communities with many residents who have been affected by the crisis, and because of the likelihood that every state will be forced to reduce services. For a copy of NASW’s coalition letter to Congress, see here. 

Congress Negotiates Health Reform Details

Democratic leaders continue to convene in high level meetings to work out the details of comprehensive health reform bills headed soon to the House and Senate floor. With critical decisions being worked out behind closed doors, advocacy organizations are scrambling to learn how their top priority concerns are faring in the ongoing negotiations. NASW continues to press for a variety of priorities including expanding coverage of the uninsured and ensuring that health disparities are addressed. NASW members interested in learning the details of the various bills may access two new resources to compare the various bills on a wide range of variables.  Follow this link to a new Kaiser Family Foundation’s side by side document comparing the major health care reform bills and also this one of a new Commonwealth Fund analysis of the major health care reform bills.

Social Work Medicare Equity Act Language Included in House Bill

Section 1307 of the House Bill (H.R. 3200) includes language that removes clinical social work services from the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) per diem rate and alternatively authorizes independent practitioners to bill for them independently. With this provision, licensed clinical social workers that participate in Medicare will be able to bill Medicare directly. This is a long-sought change by NASW and a critical parity provision for clinical social workers that will expand the availability of services to certain Medicare SNF residents. 

 Political Climate

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has sent a health care reform bill containing a “state opt out” to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) for scoring, or a determination of how much the bill would cost.  The “opt out” would permit individual states to remove themselves from the federal insurance program if they wish.  Sending the bill to the CBO is a strong indication that Reid believes he can pass a “state opt out” bill through the Senate with at least 60 votes (and exactly 60 votes, in all likelihood).  Speaker Pelosi has expressed a strong preference for a bill containing some kind of public option, but has indicated that a “state opt out” would accomplish many of the same goals and does not believe it would hinder the progress of a final bill.  If Sen. Reid can secure 60 votes for this bill, the process of reconciliation with the House bill would then commence, before a final version is sent to the White House.

Best Practices and Lessons Learned: Shaping National Health Care Reform

Kyrsten Sinema, MSW, JD is a social worker, NASW member and a member of the Arizona legislature, serving as Arizona’s Assistant House Democratic Leader. She led a Lunch Time Series teleconference to discuss federal health care reform. Sinema is one of 32 state legislators nationwide — the only state lawmaker from Arizona — selected for President Obama’s White House Health Reform Task Force. She provided an overview of the various health reform proposals being considered. NASW members can read the transcript online.

Benjamin Confirmed as U.S. Surgeon GeneralOn October 29, the full senate unanimously approved Regina Benjamin, MD as U.S. Surgeon General.  The Surgeon General of the United States is the operational head of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC) and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the federal government.

First announced as the U.S. Surgeon General nominee on July 13, 2009, Dr. Regina Benjamin was the founder and chief executive officer of the Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic in La Batre, LA, the immediate past chair of the Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States and previously served as associate dean for rural health at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. In 2002, as the president of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama, she became the first black woman to be president of a U.S. state medical society. 

NASW supported Dr. Benjamin’s confirmation.

August Recess

We will be taking a break from the Health Care Reform Roundup while Congress is in recess (through September 7). We still encourage you to attend Town Hall Meetings throughout the month of August and write to your members of Congress about health care reform.

We are sending announcements to Advocacy Listserv members when we hear of a Town Hall Meeting in your district or state. Personal stories are very effective at these Town Hall Meetings. Make sure you identify yourself as a social worker. Here are some talking points you can use at the Town Hall Meeting:

1. Pass health care reform now.
2. We want all people covered; national policy must ensure a universal right to insurance coverage for a continuum of health and behavioral health services.
3. We want quality health care. Health care reform must promote wellness, maintain optimal health, prevent illness and disability, ameliorate the effects of unavoidable incapacities, and provide supportive long-term palliative end-of-life care.
4. We want health care that recognizes the need for social work services; social workers are an important part of the health care team.

President Obama hosted Town Hall Meetings on health care reform in New Hampshire, Montana, and Colorado. You can find out about these on the White House Web page. See the blog and pictures from NASW New Hampshire Executive Director, Stephen Gorin about his experiences at the town hall meeting in New Hampshire.

Executive Branch Meetings

Women for Health Insurance Reform

On Wednesday, August 12, NASW was invited to attend a meeting in the Executive Office Building of the White House regarding Women for Health Insurance Reform – Stability and Security for All Americans.   The goal of the meeting was to emphasize how important women are in discussing the need for health care reform.  The speakers for the meeting were Valerie Jarrett, Senior Adviser to the President; Tina Tchen, Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement; David Simas, White House Communications Office, Office of Health  Reform; Buffy Wicks, Deputy Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement; Kavita Patel, White House Office of Public Engagement; and Neera Tanden, Senior Advisor, HHS Office of Health Reform.  The overall message from the meeting was that it is important to remember that reforming the current health care system can:

• ensure health care stability and security for all Americans
• reduce costs to make health care affordable
• bring stability and improved care to Americans by offering new consumer protections
• protect a patient’s  choice of doctors, hospitals, and insurance plans
• assure quality affordable health care for all Americans

The White House also discussed eight Health insurance Consumer Protections. They can be found at

http://www.whitehouse.gov/health-insurance-consumer-protections

Status of Health Care Reform

On Friday, August 14, NASW participated in a conference call with the White House to discuss the current status of the health care reform/insurance debate, messaging and strategy.  The White House also announced its new web page, www.whitehouse.gov/RealityCheck to help separate fact from fiction about health insurance reform.  The conference call speakers included Tina Tchen, Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement; Michael Strautmanis, Chief of Staff to the Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Engagement; Michael Hash and Lauren Aaronson, Senior Advisers; and David Simas, White House Communications Office, Office of Health Reform.

Health Care Reform and Older Adults

On Friday, August 14, NASW was invited to the White House for a stakeholders’ meeting to discuss health care/insurance reform and aging issues.  The round table discussion was facilitated by Nancy-Ann DeParle, Counselor to the President and Director of the White House Office of Health Reform; and Tina Tchen, Director of White House Office of Public Engagement. Valerie Jarrett, Senior Adviser to the President welcomed the groups to the meeting.  The hour-long discussion began after the group watched the President as he conducted a live town hall meeting from Montana.  The specific focus of the meeting was to talk with organizations that had an interest in aging issues. The organizations discussed their views about how to engage older Americans in the health care reform debate, as well as how to dispel myths and offer specific facts about health care reform.

Legislation

Senator Grassley, Ranking Member on the Senate Finance Committee, has indicated he would like to take out the end of life planning provisions in the Senate bill.

Resources

Speaker Pelosi has created FAQ’s about H.R. 3200 and Myths and Facts about H.R. 3200.

Chairman Waxman provided responses to health care reform claims on his Web page.

For ongoing information, please visit our health care page.

Keep up with the latest from NASW on Facebook, Twitter, and the NASW Advocacy Blog.  We want your feedback:  post to the Wall and leave your comments on the blog.

NASW has posted briefing papers on a range of issues. You may want to check out the briefing papers on Health Care Reform, Health Care Disparities, and Care Coordination.