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Comments and Statements

NASW writes statements and letters to the Administration on a wide range of policy issues. NASW also signs onto letters to Congress and the Administration to promote our public policy goals.

2024 Comments & Statements

NASW Submits Comments to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (Aug. 12, 2024)
NASW Comment Letter to CMS 2025 Physician Fee Schedule (Sept. 6, 2024)
NASW submits comments to the U.S. Department of Education Concerning Student Debt Relief (May 17, 2024)

2023 Comments & Statements

Previous Comments and Statements

2022

NASW urges Congressional leaders to prioritize mental health, reducing childhood poverty and student loan debt relief in the end-of-year legislative package (Nov. 23, 2022)
NASW responds to CMS’s proposed rule on streamlining enrollment and eligibility for Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Basic Health Program (Nov. 7, 2022)
NASW responds to CMS’s Make Your Voice Heard request for information to advance health equity (Nov. 4, 2022)
NASW Update on the Interstate Licensing Compact for Social Work and NASW Public Comment (Oct. 20, 2022)
NASW signs on to comments with The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights on ACA Section 1557 Proposed Rule (Oct. 3, 2022)
NASW supports HHS–CMS proposed rule addressing ACA Section 1557 nondiscrimination protections (Oct. 3, 2022)
NASW signs onto NWLC comments to the Department of Education regarding Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance (Sept. 12, 2022)
NASW Comments on Provisions of the 2023 Proposed Rule under the Medicare Fee Schedule CMS-1770-P (Sept. 6, 2022)
NASW responds to CMS request for information regarding Medicare Advantage (Aug. 31, 2022)
NASW submits comments to CMS on End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System, ESRD Quality Incentive Program, and ESRD Treatment Choices Model (Aug. 22, 2022)
NASW submits comments on CMS proposed rule regarding home health prospective payment system for calendar year 2023 (Aug. 16, 2022)
NASW submits comments in response to Department of Education’s Notice of Public Rule Making regarding Student Assistance General Provisions (Aug. 11, 2022)
NASW submits comment letter on Request for Information (RFI): HHS Initiative To Strengthen Primary Health Care (Aug 1, 2022)
NASW submits comment letter on CMS-1771-P (June 17, 2022) advocating for:
- Policies to Measure Healthcare Quality Disparities Across CMS Quality Programs
- Reporting of Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Diagnosis Codes and how They may Improve our Ability to Recognize Severity of Illness
- Screening for Social Drivers of Health Measure
- Screen Positive Rate for Social Drivers of Health Measure
- Current Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Outcomes, Care, and Health Equity
NASW submits comments to CMS advocating for increased social work & nursing staffing in long-term care facilities (June 10, 2022)
No More: NASW signs onto open letter in USA Today urging lawmakers to act in response to the gun violence epidemic (June 7, 2022)
NASW submits comments to IRS Commissioner regarding Affordability of Employer Coverage for Family Members of Employees (June 6, 2022)
NASW submits comments on the CMS Request for Information: Access to Coverage and Care in Medicaid & CHIP (Apr. 18, 2022)
NASW, Student Borrower Protection Center and 11 other organizations submit comments to the Department of Education on Public Service Loan Forgiveness Reconsideration Request (Mar. 29, 2022)
NASW submits comments in response to Senators Murray and Burr Request for Comment on the Prepare for and Respond to Existing Viruses, Emerging New Threats, and Pandemics Act (PREVENT Pandemics Act) (Feb. 4, 2022)
NASW and 10 other mental health provider organizations send letter to US Department of Health and Human Services voicing major concerns with No Surprises Act (Jan. 25, 2022)
NASW sends letter to Senator Kyrsten Sinema on voting rights legislation and the filibuster (Jan. 19, 2022)

2021

2020

NASW signs on to letter to the Department of Health and Human Services requesting Access to COVID-19 Vaccine for Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Providers and Consumers (12/18/2020)
NASW signs on to letter thanking Senators for introducing S. 5007, the Holding Providers Harmless From Medicare Cuts During COVID-19 Act of 2020, a bill to halt pending Medicare payment cuts resulting from the finalized evaluation and management (E/M) code changes (12/14/2020)
NASW signs on to Families USA letter with more than 320 organizations to outline health priorities for the Biden-Harris administration (12/10/2020)
NASW signs on to Community Catalyst letter with 90+ organizations to urge the Biden-Harris administration to select HHS nominees and appointees that are committed to health equity and working with underserved communities (12/9/2020)
NASW signs on to Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation letter urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to withdraw the proposed rule Securing Updated and Necessary Statutory Evaluations Timely (SUNSET) (SUNSET) (12/4/2020)
NASW signs on to letter urging Congress to enact legislation before the end of the year that includes a technical correction addressing the tax treatment of loan forgiveness under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) (12/3/2020)
NASW signs on to letter to House and Senate Committees on Appropriations requesting funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office on Smoking and Health (12/2/2020)
NASW signs on to letter to Congressional leaders urging to provide the maximum increase possible in funding for IDEA (12/1/2020)
NASW signs on to open letter urging the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) to eliminate the Medicaid Estate Recovery program (11/27/2020)
NASW joins Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids coalition letter to the FDA requesting prohibition of menthol cigarettes (11/9/2020)
NASW signs onto letter to Senate leadership urging passage of the bipartisan H.R. 4996, the Helping MOMS Act (10/28/2020
NASW signs letter encouraging the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to move forward with the telemedicine special registration process that would enable clinicians, Community Mental Health Centers and addiction treatment facilities to prescribe MAT to patients with OUD employing telemedicine technology. (10/26/2020)
NASW signs onto MHLG letters asking Governors to enact executive orders on coverage for tele-mental health services through the end of 2021 (10/20/2020)
- Alabama
- Florida
- Idaho
- Louisiana
- North Carolina
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
NASW signs on to Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation letter urging CMS to provide Medicare coverage of hearing, speech, swallowing, & cognitive services provided via telehealth during the COVID-19 PHE (10/2/2020)
NASW signs onto support letter for the Eating Disorders Prevention in School Act (H.R. 6703) (9/30/2020)
NASW signs on to UsAgainstAlzheimer’s open statement calling for a national prevention goal for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (9/29/2020)
NASW signs onto letter expressing strong support for S.4211, the Facilitating Reforms that Offer Necessary Telehealth in Every Rural (FRONTIER) Community Act (9/25/2020)
NASW signs on to open letter, published as an ad in the Wall Street Journal, urging federal health care agencies to base decision making regarding COVID-19 on scientific evidence rather than on politics (9/22/2020)
NASW signs onto MHLG letter thanking the sponsors for introducing the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (S. 4349) (9/22/2020)
NASW signs onto letter to USDA regarding extending the waivers which allow for the continued operation of the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and Seamless Summer Option (SSO) (9/21/2020)
NASW signs onto letter requesting the inclusion of $3.5M funding for a “Maternal Mental Health Hotline” within the Fiscal Year 2021 LHHS Senate appropriations package (9/8/2020)
NASW signs onto letter to California Governor Newsom urging he sign SB 855 to increase access to MH/SUD care by ensuring that health plans cover medically necessary care (9/6/2020)
NASW supports the Medicaid Reentry Act, which would allow Medicaid to finance health care (including physical, mental health, and substance use disorder care) in the last 30 days of incarceration, improving continuity of care and health outcomes for people returning to the community from jails and prison (8/14/2020)
NASW signs on to Big Table Phase IV Revised Letter to Congressional Leaders (8/6/2020)
NASW signs on to Leadership Council of Aging Organizations letter urging Congress to include the Social Security COVID Correction and Equity Act (H.R. 7499) in next pandemic relief package (8/3/2020)
NASW signs on to letter Endorsing Protecting Access to Post-COVID-19 Telehealth Act (H.R. 7663) (8/3/2020)
NASW signs on to Leadership Council of Aging Organizations letter urging Congress to pass legislation that would improve Internet and broadband access for older adults (7/30/2020)
NASW signs on to LCCR letter urging Congress to pass the VRAA and election protection components of the HEROES Act (7/28/2020)
NASW signs on to letter in response to the Safely Back to School and Back to Work Act (7/28/2020)
NASW signs on to MHLG Letter to urge Congressional leaders to advance S. 2661, the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, in the U.S. House of Representatives as quickly as possible (7/22/2020)
NASW signs on to letter urging Congressional leaders to include the Pandemic TANF Assistance Act in the next COVID-19 relief package (7/20/2020)
NASW signs on to LCCR letter asking Senators to follow principles for COVID-19 legislation (7/20/2020)
NASW signs on to Leadership Council of Aging Organizations letter urging Congress to include provisions requiring the federal government to pay COBRA premiums for workers unemployed or underemployed because of the pandemic in the next COVID-19 stimulus package (7/9/2020)
NASW signs on to open letter urging House and Senate appropriators to support fiscal year 2021 funding for the Lifespan Respite Care Program (7/2/2020)
NASW signs on to letter urging Congressional leaders to address the needs of our most vulnerable communities being hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic in increasing COVID-19 testing (6/29/2020)
NASW signs onto multi-stakeholder telehealth letter to Congress, signed by 340 organizations from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia (6/29/2020)
NASW signs on Leadership Council of Aging Organizations letter urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to reject Oklahoma's "SoonerCare 2.0" application for the Healthy Adult Opportunity Medicaid demonstration program (6/26/2020)
NASW signs on to letter to Congressional leaders asking them to waive the budget neutrality requirements for the finalized evaluation and management (E/M) code proposal (6/18/2020)
NASW signs on to open letter urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to maintain Medicare enrollment policies throughout the COVID-19 public health emergency (6/17/2020)
NASW signs on to the COVID-19 Mental Health Research Act (H.R. 6645). H.R. 6645, supporting research on the mental health consequences of SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19. (6/10/2020)
NASW signs on to open letter urging Senate leadership to oppose granting immunity for nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic (5/28/2020)
NASW signs on to open letter strenuously objecting to the administration's exploitation of the COVID-19 pandemic as a pretext to implement indefinite, illegal and life-threatening restrictions on humanitarian protections at the southern U.S. border (5/27/2020)
NASW signs on to MHLG letter to CMS Administrator Verma urging that new telehealth policies be made permanent (5/22/2020)
NASW signs on to MHLG Support Letter for the bipartisan Health Care Protection Act (H.R. 6810) (5/21/2020)
NASW signs on to Leadership Council of Aging Organizations letter urging Congress to increase federal funds for Medicaid during the COVID-19 pandemic (5/20/2020)
NASW signs on to Compassion & Choices letter to HHS to oppose CMS waiver of the Advance Directive regulation (5/20/2020)
NASW signs onto letter to Congress urging cosponsorship of The Improving Social Determinants of Health Act of 2020, H.R. 6561 (5/18/2020)
NASW signs onto letter to Congressional leaders urging them to include The Improving Social Determinants of Health Act of 2020 (H.R. 6561) in any further iterations of legislation to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic (5/18/2020)
NASW signs onto letter to Congressional leaders supporting the Essential Worker Pandemic Compensation Act of 2020 (5/15/2020)
NASW signs on to open letter urging Congress to provide immediate funding to prevent the default of the U.S. Postal Service, which has been critical for many populations during the COVID-19 pandemic (5/14/2020)
NASW signs on to open letters urging the House and the Senate to oppose proposals to cut, defer, or suspend Medicare and Social Security payroll taxes in the next COVID-19 relief bill (5/14/2020 & 5/29/20)
NASW signs onto NELP letter with 224 groups to the DOL urging revised guidance on returning to suitable work (5/12/2020)
NASW signs on to MHLG letter urging Congress to include policies and funding for suicide prevention and youth mental health in the next COVID-19 package (5/11/2020)
NASW signs American Academy of Pediatrics letter asking Congress to protect and strengthen Medicaid & CHIP (5/11/2020)
NASW signs onto MHLG letter expressing support for the Health Care at Home Act, H.R. 6644 (5/11/2020)
NASW signs on to letter urging the Department of Justice and 18 Republican state attorneys general to withdraw the lawsuit that would invalidate the Affordable Care Act (5/6/2020)
NASW signs onto letter to the HRSA Administrator regarding implementation of the Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Workforce Training Demonstration (5/6/2020)
NASW signs letter to HHS with Trust for America’s Health, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, and 250 organizations urging collection and reporting of detailed demographic data about COVID-19 patients (5/4/2020)
NASW signs letter to Congressional leaders with over 250 organizations urging collection and reporting of detailed demographic data about COVID-19 patients to address health disparities (5/4/2020)
NASW signs on to open letter urging Congress to take action on behalf of older adults, particularly older adults of color with low incomes, during the COVID-19 pandemic (4/30/2020)
NASW signs on to Voices for Non-Opioid Choices letter to Congress encouraging higher utilization of non-opioid analgesics post-surgery as outlined in the NOPAIN Act (4/30/2020)
NASW signs onto open letter to Congress urging passage of the COVID-19 Every Worker Protection Act of 2020 (4/29/2020)
NASW signs on to Leadership Council of Aging Organizations letter supporting the Advancing Connectivity during the Coronavirus to Ensure Support for Seniors Act (ACCESS Act, S. 3517/H.R. 6487) (4/24/2020)
NASW joins Families USA and over 400 organizations in letter to Congress to share policy priorities to protect health during the COVID-19 pandemic (4/23/2020)
NASW joins MHLG letter to House and Senate leadership urging the creation of a federal COBRA subsidy program for Americans who have lost health insurance coverage (4/23/2020)
NASW joins letter with Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and 50 organizations to ask FDA to publicly disclose new tobacco products that are under review (4/23/2020)
NASW joins 170 national, state and local LGBTQ+ and allied organizations on a letter to health and policy leaders highlighting the importance of measures to prohibit discrimination in COVID-19 treatment and prevention (4/21/2020)
NASW joins the American Psychiatric Association (APA) , the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and over 40 interdisciplinary organizations in submitting a letter to Congressional leadership for COVID-19 seeking relief funding which targets at risk individuals incarcerated in the nation's jails and prisons (4/20/2020)
NASW signs on to open letter urging Congressional leaders to include provisions to fortify the long-term financial stability of physician and non-physician practices across the health care delivery system in the COVID-19 response (4/17/2020)
NASW signs on to NEA letter urging Congress to include student loan debt cancellation in any future COVID-19 relief package (4/16/2020)
NASW signs on to open letter urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights to discourage health care rationing based on age or disability during the COVID-19 pandemic (4/16/2020)
NASW signs on to SSBG Coalition letter urging Congress to increase funding to the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) by $4.1 billion to respond to the growing needs of older people, children and families, and people with disabilities in the midst of COVID-19 (4/15/2020)
NASW signs on to ASAE letter urging Congress for additional association relief amid the COVID-19 pandemic (4/14/2020)
NASW signs on to letter to the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regarding: COVID-19 pandemic results in government to ration treatment (4/13/2020)
NASW signs on to PARCA letter to Congressional leaders requesting relief for non physician providers in the next COVID-19 package (4/13/2020)
NASW signs on to letter to Congressional leaders demanding $4 billion in election assistance (4/13/2020)
NASW signs on to letter to Congressional leaders urging them to act immediately to provide crucial support to families facing the stress and disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, by equipping the child welfare system with the tools it needs to handle the crisis (4/10/2020)
NASW signs on to open letter urging CMS to facilitate enrollment in marketplace plans and Medicare during COVID-19 (4/9/2020)
NASW signs on to Leadership Council of Aging Organizations letter urging Congress to implement changes on behalf of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic (4/8/2020)
NASW signs on to letter to OMB requesting extension for poverty measures' comment period in light of COVID-19 (4/8/2020)
NASW signs on to Leadership Council of Aging Organization letter urging the federal government to provide automatic payments to Supplemental Security Income enrollees and people who receive benefits from the Veterans Administration (4/3/2020)
NASW signs on to letter to HHS and CMS urging them to immediately expand Medicare coverage of telehealth to allow audio-only communications and waive the current Medicare requirement for audio-video connecting during the COVID-19 public health emergency (4/3/2020)
NASW signs on to letter urging Senate Appropriators to fund the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Grant Program at a level of $10 million (4/1/2020)
NASW signs on to letter to top 10 private health insurance companies urging insurers to waive all patient costs for care associated with COVID-19 (4/1/2020)
NASW signs on to open letter urging Congress to include paid sick leave for family caregivers of people with disabilities and older adults in the third coronavirus stimulus package (3/27/2020)
NASW signs on to MHLG letter to Congress urging flexibility in state telebehavioral health coverage (3/25/2020)
NASW signs on to MHLG letter to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners urging states to temporarily lift restrictions on telebehavioral health (3/25/2020)
NASW signs on to letter from SSBG Coalition urging Congress to increase funding to the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) by several billion dollars to respond to the growing needs of older people, children and families, and people with disabilities in the midst of COVID-19 (3/22/2020)
NASW joins 150 national civil and human rights organizations in writing Congressional Leadership requesting $2 Billion to ensure the integrity of the 2020 elections- which could face serious disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic (3/22/2020)
NASW signs on to letter with 200+ organizations urging HHS to Create an Emergency COVID-19 Special Enrollment Period on federal and state-based marketplaces (3/20/2020)
NASW signs on to letter asking to ensure that personal protection equipment (PPE) is available to all health care systems, facilities, and providers (3/20/2020)
In response to COVID-19, NASW joins many organizations to advocate on behalf of survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking (3/19/2020)
NASW signs on to Leadership Council of Aging Organizations sign-on letter urging Congress to take steps to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on people with disabilities and older adults (3/17/2020)
NASW joins 200 civil and human rights organizations in requesting that federal, state, and local election officials ensure safety and the orderly conduct of the 2020 primary and general elections in light of the current threat posed by COVID-19 (3/17/2020)
NASW signs on to letter to President Trump urging affordable pricing for coronavirus treatments and future vaccines (3/5/2020)
NASW signs on to MHLG letters to the House and Senate sponsors supporting the Medicare Mental Health Inpatient Equity Act (3/4/2020)
NASW signs on to MHLG letter requesting oversight hearings and an evaluation of the impact of sharing confidential mental health information obtained from child immigrants detained in shelter care (2/28/2020)
NASW joins 400 organizations in opposing changes to the Medicaid financing structure and the Healthy Adult Opportunity guidance (2/28/2020)
NASW signs on to Leadership Council of Aging Organizations letter supporting the Know Your Social Security Act (H.R. 5306/S. 298) (2/27/2020)
NASW signs on to MHLG comments and letter of support for the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) proposed rule, Implementation of the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act of 2018 (2/14/2020)
Medicare Reimbursement Cuts Proposed for CY 2021 (2/10/2020)
NASW signs on to open letter urging Congress to pass the Supporting Older Americans Act of 2020 (H.R. 4334), which would reauthorize the Older Americans Act (2/7/2020)
NASW supports the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019 with 75 groups in a letter to all members of the U.S. House of Representatives (2/4/2020)
NASW signs on to letter with Aligning for Health in support of the Social Determinants Accelerator Act (1/6/2020)

2019

2015

NASW responds to proposed rule reforming requirements for long-term care facilities, advocating for professional social work qualifications and improved social work staffing ratios (Oct. 14, 2015)

Sign-On Letters

NASW signs on to letters with coalition partners to demonstrate unity on an issue and to push for change.

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COVID-19 Advocacy

NASW is advocating for social workers and the people they serve throughout the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Learn about NASW's COVID-19 Advocacy

Increasing Voter Participation

Voter participation is a social work issue! Learn how you can help get out the vote in your community.

Get voter participation resources