Dear CSWA Members,

CSWA has been asked to make one more set of phone calls TOMORROW, June 20, 2017, National Call-in Day, to oppose the American Health Care Act.  The AHCA which came over from the House of Representatives, will severely curtail access to mental health treatment and substance use treatment in the public and private insurance sectors, severely cut Medicaid coverage, and eliminate the essential benefits of the Affordable Care Act which require that mental health coverage be included in every policy at parity with medical coverage.

Even if you have called already, please call again.  If you have not called your senators, here is your last best chance to let your senators know that you oppose this bill.   The Senate is gearing up for a vote on such legislation by the end of next week, so NOW is the time to speak up and protect mental health and Medicaid.

 Taking action is easy:

1. Dial this number on June 20, 2017 between 9-5 EDT: 202-224-3121
2. Ask for your Senator.
3. Use this message: “I am a constituent and a member of the Clinical Social Work Association, calling about the American Health Care Act. I urge you to oppose any proposal that results in cuts or rollbacks of Medicaid or cuts to the essential benefits. AHCA directly targets important health care protections like the essential health benefits, coverage of pre-existing conditions and eliminates mental health parity in health care. I’m calling from [city, state, and zip] and my name is [first and last name].”
4. Call your other Senator and share the same message!

As always, let me know when your calls have been made at lwgroshong@clinicalsocialworkassociation.org .

The Senate has put the American Health Care Act on a fast track for passage.  The form this bill will take is unclear.  CSWA encourages all members to contact a small group of moderate Republicans who may determine the fate of mental health coverage and Medicaid coverage. Please review the posts CSWA sent on May 4 and May 25 on these topics.

Below are the office numbers, twitter accounts, and Facebook accounts for these senators. Please take a moment to send the messages CSWA has provided.

As always, let me know when your messages have been sent.

Laura Groshong, LICSW, CSWA Director, Policy and Practice

Clinical Social Work Association
The National Voice of Clinical Social Work
Strengthening IDENTITY | Preserving INTEGRITY | Advocating PARITY

 

URGE KEY SENATORS TO OPPOSE AHCA UNLESS MEDICAID AND MENTAL HEALTH COVERAGE

Senators are considering the American Health Care Act (AHCA) in preparation for a possible vote by the 4^th of July.  As passed by the House, the AHCA would repeal major provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) (aka Obamacare) by:

 ·       Ending the guaranteed coverage of substance use disorders and mental health treatment services

·        Cutting Medicaid by $880 billion and stripping more than 20 million people of their health insurance 

With very narrow margins in the Senate, it will only take 3 Senators to stop the AHCA without protections for substance use disorders and mental health treatment from passing the Senate.

Call these Senators today to ask them to oppose the AHCA without protections for substance use disorders and mental health.

A list of key decision-making Senators to call is below: 

• Capito (R-WV) | (202) 224-6472
• Cassidy (R-LA)  | (202) 224-5824
• Collins (R-ME) | (202) 224-2523
• Gardner (R-CO) | (202) 224-5941
• Heller (R-NV) | (202) 224-6244
• Murkowski (R-AK) | (202) 224-6665
• Portman (R-OH) | (202) 224-3353
• Sullivan (R-AK) | (202) 224-3004
• Flake (R-AZ) | (202) 224-4521

Sample call script:

I am a constituent [if you are] and a member of the Clinical Social Work Association. Please urge the Senator to oppose the AHCA bill without required coverage for mental health disorders, substance use disorders, and  with caps to Medicaid. These policies would increase costs for everyone and cause emotional suffering for those who need help.

Social Media

You can also contact senators through social media. Social media handles for key Senators are listed below:

• Capito (R-WV) | Twitter: @SenCapito | Facebook: @SenShelley
• Cassidy (R-LA) | Twitter: @BillCassidy | Facebook: @BillCassidy
• Collins (R-ME) | Twitter: @SenatorCollins | Facebook: @SusanCollins
• Gardner (R-CO) | Twitter: @SenCoryGardner | Facebook: @SenCoryGardner
• Heller (R-NV)  | Twitter: @SenDeanHeller | Facebook: @SenDeanHeller
• Murkowski (R-AK) | Twitter: @lisamurkowski | Facebook: @SenLisaMurkowski
• Portman (R-OH) | Twitter: @senrobportman | Facebook: @senrobportman
• Sullivan (R-AK) | Twitter: @SenDanSullivan | Facebook: @SenDanSullivan
• Flake (R-AZ) | Twitter: @JeffFlake | Facebook: @SenatorJeffFlake

Sample Twitter Posts

@[Twitter Handle]: I ask you to oppose the #AHCA without protections for substance use disorders and #mentalhealth. 

          Please #VoteNoAHCA.

• #Medicaid coverage is a critical lifeline for millions in the US w/ substance use disorders & #mentalillness. @[Twitter Handle]: #VoteNoAHCA
• @[Twitter Handle]: ensure no one loses access to life-saving substance use disorder & #mentalhealth treatment they have today. #VoteNoAHCA

Note: the period in front of the Twitter handle is important to ensure that it is posted visibly on the senators' page.

Sample Facebook Posts

In the face of the #opioid overdose and suicide epidemics, equal and affordable access to a full continuum of substance use disorder and mental health treatment services must be an essential component of health care coverage.

#Medicaid coverage is a critical lifeline for millions of Americans with substance use disorders and #mentalillness. Cutting or capping Medicaid and ending the Medicaid expansion will be devastating to those who can’t afford health care in the private market.

[Facebook handle], please ensure that no American loses the access to life-saving substance use disorder and mental health treatment that they have today.

I ask you to #VoteNoAHCA.

Here is a report on where we stand with the repeal and replace the ACA regarding Medicaid sort of at the halfway mark. There are some issues that are becoming clearer that I wanted to share with you.  We need to be educators for our members of Congress and state Governors right now.  There is much confusion about what the proposed ‘fixes’ and cuts to Medicaid would do. The interconnectedness of Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, and employer based insurance is being ignored so that the only ones who will have access to affordable health care are the wealthy.

First, the Congressional Budget Score (CBO) for the House American Health Care Act (AHCA), which came out yesterday almost two weeks after the bill passed, has little difference from the first version of the bill.  The tax breaks for the wealthy, lowering the deficit, and leaving 23-24 million currently covered by insurance uncovered are the same, though there are some minor changes.

What is clearer is that those on Medicaid specifically are the group that is targeted.  We all know the difficulties with Medicaid from a LCSW point of view – the restrictions in some states for our providing care, the low reimbursement rates in many states, the paperwork hassles, etc.  Nevertheless, CSWA believes that our ethics and values compel us to make the effort to include some Medicaid clients in our practice.  There is a pragmatic reason for this.  If Medicaid enrollees do not have health insurance, they will wind up using emergency rooms.  This is the most expensive form of care and will raise premiums for everyone.

I was on a conference call with several national Medicaid advocates yesterday and learned that the Senate is not planning to protect the Medicaid enrollees in their version of the AHCA bill.  Keep in mind that 50% of the 74 million Medicaid enrollees are children; 25% are disabled (many with mental health disorders), and 20% are elderly.  States will have to cover these people if federal funding ends.  Most members of Congress, especially the ‘gang of 13’ who are writing the Senate version of the AHCA, are in denial about this. The main attitude is still that there are a majority of people on Medicaid who COULD work and are just lazy, as opposed to at most 5% who are able to work (and unlikely to be lazy).  

BACKGROUND ISSUES

1. Medicaid is not part of AHCA; cutting insurance for Medicaid enrollees will not solve the cost problems with the ACA, it will increase them.
   
2. The “per capita caps”, a new mechanism for cutting Medicaid enrollees by having a block grant that is an absolute limit with NO adjustment for Medicaid increase or decrease in enrollees. This eliminates the current extra Federal help if Medicaid enrollees increase. It is especially important to get this point across to Republican Governors who will be on the firing line if this goes through.   
3. CHIP, the main coverage for children, sits on the shoulder of Medicaid.  If Medicaid is cut, CHIP will fail.  No one can justify preventing children in poverty from having access to health care.  
4. The current plans in the AHCA will cost shift Medicaid to the states.  Congress seems unwilling to look at how devastating that will be for state budgets.

ACTION ITEM

Here is what we need to do this next week of Memorial Day.  Congress is in recess and members are back in district.  This is the time we need to have meetings with them and clarify the following:

1. Explain the above issues to all your members of Congress or staff next week in person.  
2. Ask Republican Senators to commit to NO per capita caps. 
3. Ask Republican Senators to commit to maintaining Medicaid expansion.
4. Stop making absolute caps the way to cut services.

Set up visits now!  Even if you have senators who are unfriendly to our views, visit them.   Go with a group from your Society if you can.  Let me know what the results of these meetings are.  It will also be useful to meet with your representatives.

Medicaid is the stepchild of health care but it is also the way to improve the overall health care system.  Please help educate our members of Congress and governors.

Thanks to everyone who sent messages to legislators on American Health Care Act, the last version of the Affordable Care Act, which passed the House today on a 217-213 vote.  Many of the moderate Republicans we targeted voted against the bill.  Good work!

I want to remind you that this may be a political victory, though that remains to be seen, but is not yet a policy victory.  AHCA must now be passed by the Senate, a much more divided body, and will very likely have significant changes when and if it does. 

Here is what I suggest you consider for the moment:

• The Congressional Budget Office score which was avoided before this vote will come out next week and may cause some major rethinking of the budgetary impact of these changes.
• For LCSWs, the main concerns are 1) the elimination of Essential Benefits, which include mental health and substance use treatment; 2) the creation of high-risk pools which are severely under-funded and will decimate Medicaid coverage and enrollment for people needing mental health/substance use treatment; and 3) the potential collapse of the individual market which covers many LCSWs in solo practice.
• Now is a good time to ask Senators, especially those who supported the Affordable Care Act or opposed the AHCA, to WORK WITH Republicans on developing a bill that will fix the problems that we know the ACA had, without eliminating the 20 million people who were able to get coverage through the ACA or almost doubling premiums for those who are 50-64, among other issues. 
  
  CSWA will be working on this nationally, but calling your own Senators to suggest a more collaborative approach would be very helpful. You can contact your senators through https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?OrderBy=state&Sort=ASC or http://www.senate.gov/states/. 
  
  A possible message would be "I am a constituent and a member of the Clinical Social Work Association. As you consider the American Health Care Act passed by the House, please take a collaborative approach.  Passage of a bill that will provide the mental health and substance use treatment that our citizens need depends on it"

As always, let me know when you have contacted your senators.

Keep our patients in mind as you consider what we need moving forward and remember that we have many miles to go before this campaign is over.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Laura W. Groshong, LICSW, Director, Policy and Practice
Clinical Social Work Association
The National Voice of Clinical Social Work
Strengthening IDENTITY | Preserving INTEGRITY | Advocating PARITY

The twists and turns of the administration's attempt to replace the Affordable Care Act continue.

The third serious effort to drastically change the ACA is gaining steam, a plan that would include most of the problems outlined last week (below) with an even bigger decrease in Medicaid coverage. The new Upton-Long Amendment to add more money to high-risk pools would not nearly offset the cuts to coverage for many with pre-existing conditions (https://www.ama-assn.org/ama-warns-proposed-changes-ahca-do-not-remedy-bill-s-shortcomings ).

Thank you so much for all the messages that you have sent.  Please take time to contact your legislators, especially the moderate Republicans mentioned in the Trump Toolkit at https://www.trumpcaretoolkit.org/ and any other legislators in your state one more time about the harm that the current AHCA bill will cause. Once again, message should read: “I am a constituent and member of the Clinical Social Work Association.  Please do not vote for HR 1628 which would restrict access to mental health and substance use treatment for millions of Americans.”

As always, please let me know when you have sent your messages.

Laura W. Groshong, LICSW, Director, Policy and Practice

Clinical Social Work Association
The National Voice of Clinical Social Work
Strengthening IDENTITY | Preserving INTEGRITY | Advocating PARITY

Thanks to all the many members who have sent messages to their legislators.

As you may have seen, the latest effort to pass the American Health Care Act which would have had a very negative impact on access to mental health treatment, was not voted on.  It is unclear when or if a bill that can get enough votes to pass will be created.

At this point, you can keep letting your legislators know that CSWA wants a bill which will protect the essential health benefits; continue the expansion of Medicaid; keep covering pre-existing conditions; avoid increased premiums for older Americans not eligible for Medicare; and maintain mental health parity. But until we see what the next bill looks like it is difficult to respond with specifics.

Thanks again for your help.

Laura W. Groshong, LICSW, Director, Policy and Practice

Clinical Social Work Association
The National Voice of Clinical Social Work
Strengthening IDENTITY | Preserving INTEGRITY | Advocating PARITY

There have been ongoing changes by Congress to overturn the Affordable Care Act the past few weeks. As of tonight it is unclear what the final form of the American Health Care Act will be.  It appears that there will be a bill that may pass the House, which will still have resistance.

Here is what LCSWs need to know about mental health and substance use coverage according to the bill in its current form:

• The option to eliminate essential health benefits, including the mental health/substance use parity requirement
• End of Medicaid expansion which will take away coverage for 24 million citizens, including mental health needs
• The option of not covering pre-existing conditions, including for mental health disorders
• Will raise premiums for older (50-64) Americans, making access to mental health care more difficult
• Cuts Medicaid severely, rationing care for poor seniors, poor children, and the disabled, including mental health treatment

These terrible consequences may not be inevitable if 1) the moderate Republicans in the House refuse to support this bill; 2) the Senate refuses to pass this bill; or 3) there is a backlash from constituents to stop support for this bill.

Please send YOUR legislators listed at https://www.trumpcaretoolkit.org/ a message to oppose this bill, especially in California, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington.  Message should read: “I am a constituent and member of the Clinical Social Work Association.  Please do not vote for HR 1628 which would restrict access to mental health and substance use treatment for millions of Americans.”

As always, please let me know when you have sent your message.

Laura W. Groshong, LICSW, Director, Policy and Practice

Clinical Social Work Association
The National Voice of Clinical Social Work
Strengthening IDENTITY | Preserving INTEGRITY | Advocating PARITY

(N=248) Survey taken 12/10/16-12/28/16

Below are the results of the Survey sent to CSWA members to get their views on what they would like CSWA advocacy priorities to be in 2017. We asked people to choose one or two areas for each issue, realizing that our resources are limited. The percentages are how many of the respondents chose a given issue.

Choose one or two of the areas below as the primary place(s) advocacy efforts should be made around mental health parity and reform legislation.

• Oppose efforts to reverse mental health parity law = 87%
  
• Oppose efforts to eliminate DHHS regulations protecting mental health parity = 55%
  
• Oppose failure to provide adequate funding for addiction treatment found in CARA Act =21%
  
• Oppose failure to fund mental health research and resources in the 21st Century Cures Act =23%
  

Other (please specify):

• Oppose efforts to put irrelevant "make-work" requirements on therapists who are Medicare providers
  
• Oppose a statute of limitations for child abuse prosecution
  
• Practice of interstate electronic social work
  
• I am sorry to say that I do not know enough about these issues to choose.
  
• Protection of mental health treatment records in accord with Shaffer v. Redmond
  
• Want all efforts focused on the one checked above [oppose efforts to reverse parity law].
  
• Protect all devices for seniors who are hard hit by all of the above
  

Choose one or two of the areas below as the primary place(s) that advocacy efforts should be made around the Affordable Care Act.

• Oppose complete overturn of ACA = 51%
  
• Oppose overturn of coverage of pre-existing conditions = 57%
  
• Oppose overturn of coverage of adult children up to age 26 under parents' insurance = 13%
  
• Oppose elimination of subsidies for working poor = 31%
  
• Oppose elimination of subsidies for middle class = 10%
  
• Oppose use of vouchers to purchase health care (replacing required coverage for essential benefits) = 25%
  

Other (please specify):

• The cost of the insurance is too high for lower middle class purchasers so a hard look at what can be eliminated to bring the cost down is warranted
  
• Need to address out of network benefits
  
• Truth about insurance companies--change from affordable insurance to high deductible to line the pockets of CEO--educate that it is not a failure of the ACA but corporate greed, pass laws to make it illegal to profit from people's health needs.
  
• Establishment of universal/single-payer system.
  
• Need more information on what the new administration proposes as a replacement for ACA. Perhaps, instead, put additional resources in Question #1 options.
  
• Particularly concerned about Medi-Cal clients
  
• Tough choices: all vital, all seem equally important. -2
  
• Lobby for improvements to the basic structure of ACA
  
• Oppose the repeal of ACA, period. It does not need repeal. It needs fine tuning and fixing in some areas.
  
• Oppose overturn of any element unless there is another, equal or better plan.
  
• Oppose complete overturn of ACA and oppose elimination of subsidies for working poor.
  
• Oppose elimination of subsidies for poor and middle class
  
• Oppose vouchers
  

Choose one or two of the areas below as the primary place(s) that advocacy efforts should be made around Medicare and Medicaid.

• Oppose cancellation of the Medicaid Expansion program = 44%
  
• Oppose privatization of Medicare using Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) =72%
  
• Oppose raising the age of eligibility for Medicare = 26%
  
• Oppose decreasing standards for SSDI eligibility/increased work requirement = 8%
  
• Oppose turning federal funding for prevention services, early intervention, recovery, etc. into block grants = 28%
  
• Other (please specify):
  
• Allow SW to expand billing privileges for Advance Care Planning
  
• Oppose RAISING SSDI eligibility standards and/or raising work requirements
  
• Advocate for ability of social workers to work in nursing homes and advocate for coverage in homes for health and ADLs assistance for elderly
  
• No opposition to any of these
  
• My choices are opposed privatization and oppose turning federal funding into block grants
  
• Oppose privatization of Medicare and raising the age of eligibility]
  
• Oppose vouchers for Medicare
  
• All of the above
  

Choose one or two areas below as the primary place(s) that advocacy efforts should be made around diversity and civil rights.

• Oppose rollback of LGBTQ civil rights = 45.5%
  
• Oppose rollback of religious civil rights = 15.0%
  
• Oppose rollback of women's civil rights = 30.0%
  
• Oppose establishment of extremely restrictive immigration policies = 25.5%
  
• Oppose attacks based on ethnicity, religion, differently abled = 28.6%
  
• Oppose failure to fund criminal justice and corrections reforms = 18.3%
  
• Oppose current increased use of prisons as mental health hospitals = 40.8%
  
• Other (please specify)
  
• Oppose ALL rollback of civil rights and acceptance of diversity - 17
  
• Cannot ethically just choose one or two - 6
  
• Oppose voter suppression/restrictions on voting -1
  
• Improve safety for workers and patients at MH hospitals - 1
  

Choose one or two areas below as the primary place(s) that advocacy efforts should be made around mental health treatment.

• Oppose reversal of prohibition on "conversion therapy" = 26.5%
  
• Oppose elimination of Mental Health First Aid and Understanding Trauma
  
• program for first responders = 24.5%
  
• Oppose restrictions on long-term treatment modalities needed for some mental disorders = 38.8%
  
• Oppose coverage limitations on mental health treatment = 79.6%
  
• Oppose "fail-first" or "step-down" treatments for substance use treatment and
  
• psychotropic medication = 9.7%
  
• Other (please specify)
  
• Priorities need to focus on the highest number of people that need service not the minority represented by activists with a political agenda instead of a clinical agenda -1
  
• All of the above - 6
  

Please add any other comments or issues that you think should be considered.

Because of low reimbursement rates, it is very difficult to obtain an appt with a psychiatrist who accepts insurance. Those who do make up for this by scheduling far more appts than they can be competent with.. It is very difficult to find a therapist who works with more specialized diagnostic categories like trauma and accepts insurance because if reimbursement rates.

Hard to choose only 2 in each of the categories, but I think you're doing a terrific job of knowing both what's important and what CSWA can accomplish.

It's difficult to prioritize these lists as all these issues are important, now more than ever. I do believe that any reversal of prohibitions on conversion therapy would be extremely detrimental.

Stress that Treatment of mental disorders is prevention for other physical disorders and that focus on mental can reduce money needed for physical

Please consider that all members did not vote democrat and that some of us have much hope for positive changes with the new administration. Sometimes it feels like both the NASW and the LCSW society assume that all members stand on the left. I fall in the middle and would like to see many things change in our country. I live in a home where we are both self employed. I am tired of paying 1k a month for health care and this year going up to a 10k deductible, while politicians have 70 some percent of their insurance paid for. I am concerned that social workers really need to consider a role of advocating for a more empowered, anti-victim, self responsible approach to helping people. I believe he is for LEGAL immigration and for preventing the immigration of dangerous people, taking care of America first, as there are millions suffering here in our country. I did not renew my NASW membership because they represent the extreme left. I am in need of renewing my CSWA membership and I am unsure if I want to do so for the same reasons. Thank you for considering my comments.

Oppose challenges to mental health parity and changes that violate ethical standards and scope of practice within integrated healthcare system modalities.

Trump has alienated all or almost all minorities. I can't believe there will come a day that I would be literally afraid of the President and the rest of government

Insure parity for the treatment of mental health disorders--increase the embracement of compassion for all civil rights issues!

Thank you – 25

Please guide us on how to proceed - 3

I think all of these areas are incredibly important.

I think many more things are important than just one or two in each category, especially in light of the incoming administration.

Enforce parity in mental health care and use of pre-authorization in Medicaid programs. Major concerns for small businesses and cost of health care. Many of these citizens are mental health providers in private or small group practices. These individuals do not qualify for any reduced health care costs or grants.

I was not aware that some of these ideas were even being considered. Wow! Social workers need to work hard to keep human rights a part of our country in the coming years.

All of these are important; choosing is impossible. Most important maybe is protecting AND CONTINUED FUNDING for what mental health and substance abuse support we have now?

I am completely overwhelmed by all of the urgent and essential advocacy and human rights issues on our plates. It is virtually impossible for me to pick where to focus our efforts. I would advise us to pick issues where we think we can join with other groups and really make an impact.

Too much focus on negatives, need to focus on what to promote - 4

The new administration is a threat to mental health. We must do everything we possibly can to fight the reactionary provisions that would roll back the advances made in human rights and rights for the mentally ill. - 5

I think it is important that Medicare and Medicaid payments be comparable to private insurance "allowed amounts' for comparable mental health services.

Advocate fully funding for addiction tx in CARA Act

Standing up as a group against any continued public statements of hate or attempts at normalization of racism, sexual harassment, and anti- LBGTQ or immigrant threats. We have an obligation as health professionals, to point out the damaging effects of this rhetoric and demand that our highest leaders behave in ways that do not harm others in our country. Thank you for doing this survey and preparing!

Re: the ACA section: I would love to oppose complete overturn of ACA, but trust you have a better sense of whether that is a practical and achievable goal. Given the possibility that it's not practical, I picked the parts of it that seem most urgent to me. Though they do all seem important.

It's hard to choose only one or two options. I want to check all if the above - 7

While I would like to think that there will not be many changes, I think the focus for right now will have to be defensive to just keep what we have...at the same time, starting to design other studies and doing other research to lay the groundwork for best practices could be powerful with the right administration...who are our cheerleaders in the house and senate right now..

Increasing collaborative mental health services such as pharmacy, dietician, physical therapy, ministry in mental health facilities. Advocate for stricter rules to accredit mental hospital, including provider licensure review with continued education audit, increase advocacy for American psychiatrists, increase advocacy for 21st century cures, get more people discharged and healthier from mental facilities, not allow state mental hospitals to be a lifetime residence.

FIGHT LIKE HELL

Support expansion of Medicare – 5

Medicare is a great program. Most seniors seem fairly happy with it & believe it to be well run.

As you heard in the previous email, the Democratic caucus is asking us to contact our members of Congress to let them know that we want a reasonable replacement for the ACA before it is repealed.  Here is what House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is asking of us at this time:

1. Send the following message to your own legislators: “I am a member of the Clinical Social Work Association and a constituent.   Please oppose the repeal of the ACA without a replacement that includes mental health and substance use treatment as a continued essential benefit. Lack of access to mental health and substance use treatment leads to incredible suffering and loss of productivity. We have just included mental health and substance use at parity with medical care for the past year. Don’t bankrupt families with mental health needs by withdrawing the coverage they need and should have. [Name, Degree, License, Address]”.
   
   You can find the contact information with your legislators at http://www.house.gov/representatives/ and http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
   
   
2. Start collecting stories of patients, family members or personal experiences of how the ACA has made it possible to have access to mental health/substance use treatment or medical care that otherwise would have led to severe financial distress, personal suffering, family suffering, or loss of productivity at work. I will be sending you a list of legislators to send these stories to shortly.
   

Thanks for your help. As always, please let me know when you have sent your messages.

Laura Groshong, LICSW, Director, Policy and Practice

Clinical Social Work Association
The National Voice of Clinical Social Work
Strengthening IDENTITY | Preserving INTEGRITY | Advocating PARITY

CSWA was honored to be invited with other members of the Mental Health Liaison Group to attend a meeting about the fate of the Affordable Care Act last Friday.  We were represented at the 2-hour meeting by our superb MHLG Delegate, Margot Aronson, LICSW, Deputy Director of Policy and Practice, along with representatives from American Psychological Association, Mental Health America, Families USA, NASW, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention – altogether nearly 50 health and mental health stakeholders. 

Minority Leader Pelosi opened with her conviction that a strong and immediate grass roots effort can prevent the “Repeal and Replace Later” plan that is moving to a vote.  There is no question that Repeal without a reasonable replacement will jeopardize coverage in current plans and throw the insurance market into chaos; a responsible approach to repeal would be to wait until a replacement plan has been developed, reviewed, and accepted. The great majority of Americans have indicated a preference for this approach: more than 49% want to keep the ACA (Kaiser Foundation) with some changes to improve coverage. 

Representing CSWA, Margot spoke to the significant savings in healthcare and safety net costs down the road when mental health and substance abuse treatment are finally accessible and affordable when needed.

We need to show legislators how ACA coverage “prevented my family from losing our home because of a medical crisis”; how “a life-saving treatment was out of reach before the ACA but now I’m in full recovery and back at work”; and how “I was terrified if I got sick before I had ACA coverage” .  Such stories – especially from constituents - resonate with members of Congress.  Please gather these stories if you can and be prepared to send them soon.

Another email follows this one about what to do right now.  We hope you are glad that CSWA is participating in the effort to protect health insurance (including mental health treatment!) for 30 million citizens through the ACA.

Laura W. Groshong, LICSW, Director, Policy and Practice
Clinical Social Work Association
lwgroshong@clinicalsocialworkassociation.org

CSWA - "The National Voice for Clinical Social Work"
Strengthening IDENTITY, Preserving INTEGRITY, Advocating PARITY