NASW Urges Social Workers in Health Care Insurance Exchanges

Jan 9, 2012

By Greg Wright, NEWS Contributor

The National Association of Social Workers strongly urged the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to include social workers in plans that will be offered in the new affordable health care insurance exchanges that will be available across the United States by Jan. 1, 2014.

NASW also made recommendations to ensure these insurance exchanges better serve consumers, especially underserved populations — those with low literacy or English skills or people who live in low-income neighborhoods with limited computer and Internet access.

“NASW is a strong supporter of the Affordable Care Act and we eagerly await the full implementation of the state-level insurance exchanges, which will facilitate expanded access to health insurance coverage for millions of individuals and employees of small businesses,” NASW Executive Director Elizabeth Clark said in a Sept. 27 letter to Donald Berwick, M.D., director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services at HHS.

In private health insurance markets, individuals and employers voluntarily participate as purchasers. However, people who want to buy coverage face hurdles, including affordability or being denied coverage based on pre-existing medical conditions.

The Affordable Care Act that President Obama signed into law in March 2010 calls for the development of a health insurance “exchange” in each state.

From the January 2012 NASW News. NASW members click here for the full story.

Social Workers Help Pet Owners Navigate Homelessness

Social Workers Help Pet Owners Navigate Homelessness

Last year, New York city opened its first pet-inclusive homeless shelter By Faye Beard Christine Kim, MSW, knows well the choice many unhoused individuals face when deciding to keep their pets with them—no matter what. “Many people experiencing homelessness are even...

Violence in Schools: Social Workers Need to be Part of the Change

Violence in Schools: Social Workers Need to be Part of the Change

By Sue Coyle At 13, eighth-grader Melissa* is no stranger to lockdown drills—drills where students and staff practice what they would do if an active shooter was on campus. She says the drills occur monthly, more frequently at the beginning of the school year, and are...

Categories