Coalition for Social Work and Health Connects with Capitol Hill

Social Work Month 2024 was about #EmpoweringSocialWorkers. As part of such efforts, the Coalition for Social Work and Health (CSWH) traveled to Washington, D.C. to advance policy priorities and build relationships at the federal level.

 

Across two days, CSWH advocates met with congressional offices, federal agencies, and allied organizations to discuss the importance of social work within health care settings. Congressional staff on both sides of the aisle engaged with CSWH to ask questions and to share stories of their own interactions with the social work profession.

Members of the House were asked to cosponsor the Integrating Social Workers Across Health Care Settings Act, H.R. 4638 being led by Representatives Danny Davis (D-IL) and Jen Kiggans (R-VA). H.R. 4638 would allow clinical social workers (CSWs) to bill Medicare for relevant services within their existing state scope of practice.

 

Under current Medicare statutory language, CSWs can only bill Medicare for the direct services they offer as mental health providers even though their licensed scope of practice encompasses so much more. Although a recent regulatory change has opened billing for Health Behavior Assessment and Intervention (HBAI), other care coordination codes are further applicable to the standard care performed by CSWs and are not included in federal statute.

During Capitol Hill visits, CSWH appreciated meeting with the offices of:

  • Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-9)

  • Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA-2)

  • Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA-2)

  • Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA-5)

  • Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL-5)

  • Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA)

  • Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA-8)

  • Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL)

  • Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-IL)

  • Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)

 

As spring moves into summer, CSWH will continue its focus of lifting social work’s impact in transforming healthcare, improving health, and advancing health equity. Social workers and supporters can get involved by taking action and by signing up for the CSWH newsletter to learn about future advocacy opportunities.

This piece was originally posted by the Coalition for Social Work and Health (CSWH), a CHaSCI-run coalition that connects professional organizations, practice leaders, researchers, educators, policymakers, and allies to engage in activities that elevate and expand social work’s impact in transforming healthcare, improving health, and advancing health equity. Learn more about CSWH here!

Matthew Vailsocial work, social care, social work policy, social care policy, coalition for social work and health, cswh