Announcements

Under a new federal rule to protect consumers from surprise health care bills, clinical social workers (CSW) must, effective January 1, 2022, provide a good faith estimate (GFE) of expected charges that may be billed for items and services to individuals who are uninsured (e.g., not enrolled in any health plan or coverage) or who are self-pay (e.g., not seeking to file a claim with their plan or coverage). The GFE must be provided both orally and in writing, upon request or at the time of scheduling health care items and services, and within specific timeframes.

The rule applies to both current and future patients who are uninsured or self-pay. However, GFEs do not need to be provided to patients who are enrolled in federal health insurance plans (e.g., Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, Indian Health Service or the Veterans Affairs health system).

Providing a GFE to patients is not new to CSWs who, as part of best clinical practice, routinely discuss services and fees before or during the initial interview with new patients. Read more at the Social Work Blog.

Thank you for your participation in the MyNASW community.  NASW is closed for the final week of the year.  All existing content in MyNASW is available for review, but no new content can be added over this winter break. We wish you health, peace and a happy new year.

Medicare Finalizes Rule for CY 2022, Includes Welcome Telehealth Continuation Provisions.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on November 3 released a Medicare final rule for Calendar Year 2022 that includes welcome provisions on telehealth and the Quality Payment Program (QPP). The agency has implemented many of the provisions that NASW requested in its comment letter. Among other provisions, the agency has removed geographic limitations (enabling clients to receive services from their home) and will continue to allow the use of audio-only devices for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of mental health disorders and for substance use disorder treatment. Clinical social workers are also now eligible to participate in the QPP. Note that under the final rule, an in-person, non-telehealth visit must be furnished at least every 12 months for mental health services, although exceptions to the in-person visit requirement may be made based on beneficiary circumstances (with the reason documented in the patient’s medical record). NASW continues to advocate for removal of this in-person requirement. NASW is evaluating the 2400+ pages of the final rule, including the reimbursement provisions, and will be providing an analysis for members soon. View CMS’ FAQs on the rule.

Social Workers have played an essential role and served on the frontlines during COVID and have been denied Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).  Now is the time to share your story and tell President Biden to eliminate student debt for dedicated public service workers.

Last week, NASW hosted a virtual Social Work Advocacy Day where social workers met with nearly 200 members of Congress and their staff to promote the Improving Access to Mental Health Act, the Community-Based Response Act, the For the People Act and permanent extension of telehealth flexibilities. To build momentum from Social Work Advocacy Day, we ask that social workers email and call their lawmakers and ask them to cosponsor priority legislation. Learn more and review talking points.

NASW seeks members with substantive professional experience in one or more LTSS settings—such as facilities and home and community-based services—to participate in a task force to revise the NASW Standards for Social Work Practice in Long-Term Care Facilities.

NASW is developing a Back-to-School Campaign for School Social Workers and are seeking school social workers to share their school stories and experiences about COVID-19 in the form of a brief video no longer than 3 minutes.  The videos will be shared with schools, parents, students, and others across the country.  If you are interested, please submit your video by August 7, 2021, to Greg Wright, NASW Communication Director, at gwright.nasw@socialworkers.org. Questions about this matter, may be sent to Cynthia Henderson at chenderson.nasw@socialworkers.org.

The NASW Code of Ethics is a living document that responds to the needs of the profession, which are influenced by our ever-changing world. The 2021 revisions to the Code include language that addresses the importance of professional self-care, as well as revisions to the cultural competence standard. The updated Code went into effect on June 1, 2021.

Participate in NASW’s national town hall about the intersection of social work and racial justice. Share your experiences with colleagues and discuss the social work profession's role in ending racism.

Juneteenth
June 19, 2020 | 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. ET
Go to NASW’s Facebook page on June 19.

Discuss Key Issues:
-NASW's racial justice priorities
-Eliminating police brutality
-Reducing health care and economic disparities
-Increasing social work investments in communities
-Fighting racism within the social work profession

 

*No continuing education (CE) credits will be offered for this event and there are no presentations. It will be recorded.

Experience the meeting of the profession virtually June 15-17. Join like-minded social work professionals and social work thought leaders for three days of streamed unparalleled professional development, continuing education, and thought-provoking conversations tackling the most pressing issues facing the social work profession across the world. Earn up to 32 CEs (through live-streaming & on-demand).

During the COVID-19 public health emergency, school social workers are essential staff and continue to play a vital role in ensuring that students continue to receive much-needed mental health, education, and other services despite school disruptions from the pandemic.  This practice alert provides a list of helpful resources for school social workers.

NASW played a lead role in conceiving and funding The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Consensus Study Report, Integrating Social Care into the Delivery of Health Care: Moving Upstream to Improve the Nation’s Health. This landmark report recognizes that social workers are specialists in identifying and addressing social needs, and it includes numerous recommendations to ensure that the nation’s health care systems address the many factors that contribute to health.

Registration open for NASW webinar, offered in collaboration with the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care on
Tuesday, May 26, 2020 | 2:00–3:15 p.m. EDT:

Supporting and Advocating for Nursing Home Residents, Family Caregivers, and Social Workers During COVID-19

1 Aging & Long-Term Care credit hour, approved by NASW

FREE for NASW members; $20 for nonmembers. 

COVID-19 has exacerbated challenges faced by nursing home residents, social work staff, and family caregivers. Learn about those challenges and discover strategies and resources to enhance resilience, as well as information about national-level advocacy to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on nursing home residents, social work staff, and family caregivers.

Despite the fact that thousands of workers have contracted COVID-19 on the job, and hundreds of workers have died from this highly infectious disease, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has failed to issue an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance to protect all workers from exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace. 

Congress must take the important step of requiring OSHA to issue mandated protections that will help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. These protections are critical for social workers and the clients that we serve.

On April 16th each year, NASW celebrates National Healthcare Decisions Day to empower individuals to engage in advance care planning (ACP). As individuals, families, and communities face the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of conversations about health care treatment preferences comes into new focus. Social workers play a vital role in facilitating ACP. ACP is not only about end-of-life care. At any time in your life, if you are not able to make health care decisions for yourself, who will speak on your behalf?  Read a new Practice Alert from Carrie Dorn, MPA, LMSW, NASW Senior Practice Associate for Health

Clinical social workers can now receive Medicare reimbursement for psychotherapy services provided via audio-only devices (such as landlines) during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced these and other temporary rule changes and waivers on April 30 to increase access to healthcare and mental health services for the millions of older adults who due to the pandemic cannot safely receive services in-person. NASW has been advocating vigorously for further expansion of telehealth flexibility to include audio-only devices. Millions of Medicare beneficiaries, especially those in rural areas and those who have low incomes, do not have smart phones and/or reliable access to the internet. Some, due to their health or mental health conditions, are not able to use video chat apps.

See further details and codes under Telehealth Visits at NASW’s COVID-19 Medicare Telehealth page.

With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has temporarily expanded its telehealth policies on an emergency basis under the 1135 waiver authority and the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act. During the waiver period which began March 6, 2020, cost-sharing may be reduced or waived and clinical social workers (CSWs) may seek reimbursement for telehealth psychotherapy services furnished via telehealth to patients whether they are in their home or in an outpatient setting such as an office, assisted living facility, or nursing home. For telehealth services, CSWs will also be reimbursed at the same rate as an in-person service.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is releasing $50 billion to Medicare-enrolled individual healthcare providers (including clinical social workers) and facilities that billed Medicare fee-for-services in 2019 to provide them compensation for healthcare-related expenses and lost revenues attributable to COVID-19. An initial $30 billion was automatically distributed (with no application requirement) in mid-April 2020, divided among all providers that received Medicare payments during 2019 in proportion to their relative Medicare reimbursements during that year.

NASW, CSWE and ASWB want to hear how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting you as a social work professional. We want to better understand the challenges you face, and how you have responded to these unprecedented times.  Please complete this brief survey (5 minutes) about your experience.

Thank you!

COVID-19 is a public health crisis that directly or indirectly impacts nearly every household in the country. An epidemic of such proportions poses a threat to the physical health of Americans, and is disruptive to employment, education, voting, the 2020 Census, and daily patterns of socialization. All of this presents challenges to the economic and emotional well-being of children and adults alike. NASW is concerned with equitable treatment of all Americans affected by natural disasters and public health emergencies, especially America’s vulnerable and marginalized populations. We know from past experiences that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the general population will be exponentially increased among those who live on the margins of our society. It is critical that these families and individuals are not excluded from federal and state governments’ mobilization of resources to fight the spread of COVID-19—as well as protecting them from the related social and civic disruptions that will inevitably occur as the virus spreads.

Social Workers: Join NASW for real talk about the Impact of COVID-19 on Tuesday, April 21, 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm ET

NASW's Office of Ethics and Professional Review, Office of General Counsel and Clinical Practice are collaboratively hosting a Question and Answer teleconference for the profession.

 

This Q & A Session will:

• Provide key guidance on telehealth from a legal, clinical, administrative and ethical perspectives
• Offer an open forum for social workers to ask questions about the implications of COVID-19 on their practice
• Explore the impact of the pandemic on the profession through shared reflections and experiences
• Connect social workers to legal, telehealth, clinical, and ethical resources to support practice during the COVID-19 Pandemic

 

It's Free! Space is limited.

On Friday, a bipartisan Dear Colleague letter was circulated in the House by Representative Kim Schrier (D-WA), Representative Don Young (R-AK) and Representative Karen Bass, MSW (D-CA). Additional funding is needed for child abuse prevention and services. It is extremely important that we get as many bipartisan members of the House to sign on as possible. Please email your Representative to ask them to sign on to the member-led letter, which closes Tuesday, April 14 at 12:00pm ET.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is unified with other Federal partners in leading the medical response to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. As the Nation’s largest healthcare network, the VA is preparing to support its fourth mission to provide health care to Veterans and civilians in an emergency or disaster. To assist with surge planning, the VA is recruiting social workers to support this mission and to help with COVID-19 operations in Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities across the nation.  The National Social Work Program Office in collaboration with Workforce Management and Consulting has posted two nationwide Social Work job announcements to assist with hiring a pool of qualified social workers to fill needs at VA facilities on a temporary basis. Newly hired social workers may be assigned to provide relief on existing units and teams within the healthcare facility, staff newly created units or develop and deploy new programs and resources. These announcements allow for candidates to apply at locations across the nation, and will remain open and continuous until the need no longer exists:

GS-11 Social Worker

https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/564638000

GS-12 Senior Social Worker

https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/564642100

On April 3, 2020 Medicare reported revisions to telehealth place of service and modifier codes.  The revisions will allow clinical social workers and other providers to be reimbursed for telehealth services at the same rate as an in-person service.  Information is available in  a new Practice Alert from NASW Clinical Manager Mirean Coleman, LICSW, CT, Attention Clinical Social Workers: Medicare Revises Telehealth Place of Service and Modifier Codes During COVID-19.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently implemented temporary flexibilities in regulations regarding telehealth in order to ensure that beneficiaries can access health and mental health services during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Many Medicare beneficiaries either do not have access to smartphones, do not know how to use video chat capability, or do not have adequate, reliable internet service to support video communications. A number of states as well as commercial health plans are allowing the use of audio-only devices; Medicare needs to do the same.

Telehealth is a critical strategy during COVID-19, and so is the need for ethics and technology education. Below is a list of relevant archived webinars that are now available free for our members.

Ethics and Integrated Health Care

Faculty-Student Ethics Round Table

New Practice Standards on Social Work and Technology: A Situation-Based Discussion on Best Practices?

Official National Training on the Revisions to the NASW Code of Ethics

Social Work Ethics and “Everyday” Technology

Technology in Social Work Practice: Standards of Practice

Visit NASW's Coronavirus resources page for more information and resources.

The recording of this March 23, 2020 Medicare webinar is now available on-demand in the NASW CE Institute, free of charge to NASW members.

NASW is committed to supporting you and the clients you serve during this unprecedented public health crisis.  We are working on all fronts to respond in a way that best reflects our shared social work values. We are pleased with federal actions taken to provide economic relief as well as new healthcare services to combat the pandemic. We are especially pleased with the significant expansion of telehealth in Medicare, given that older adults are the most vulnerable to the virus....

The Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) has provided this useful tool for locating emergency provisions pertaining to social work licensure by state.  If a state is not included in the tool, it indicates there not currently emergency provisions related to COVID-19.  We appreciate this resource from ASWB, which they will update as new information is available.

"We are faced with a health care emergency of international proportions. As we help people in our communities, we need to search out the best available information. There are many reliable resources beginning with our local public health agencies, the Centers for Disease Control, and the WHO. I encourage you to look at the NASW Coronavirus (COVID-19) webpage for information and resources that all of you can use as we band together to do our best during this difficult time."

Registration is now open for the 2020 NASW National Conference – Social Workers Make a Difference, June 14-17 in Washington, DC. Join more than 2,000 social workers, like-minded professionals, and social work thought leaders for four days of unparalleled education and experiences.

Urge your Congressional lawmakers to cosponsor the Protecting Social Workers and Health Professionals from Workplace Violence Act (S. 2880/H.R. 5138).

The bipartisan Protecting Social Workers and Health Professionals from Workplace Violence Act is urgently needed legislation that will strengthen workplace protections for social workers and health care professionals.