A Great Legislative Start For Social Workers This Year

2023 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

As we move into the 2023-2024 legislative year, our policy priorities are reflective of social work values with the commitment to racial justice, diversity, equity and inclusion. NASW-Michigan has identified the following areas for our policy priorities.

Click here to read more about our 2023 Legislative Priorities. 

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

Last week, Senator Anthony introduced SB 27, to amend the insurance code to guarantee that insurance companies provide equitable coverage for behavioral health and substance abuse treatment, in relation to physical health. “We have a mental health crisis in Michigan. Mental health is as important as physical health, and we need a healthcare system that reflects that,” states Sen. Anthony.

On Thursday, the Michigan Senate passed the Working Families Tax Credit (SB 3, McDonald Rivet) that would increase the Earned Income Tax Credit for families with low incomes from the federal 6% to 30%. The bill will now go to the House for a vote. “This bill puts money in people’s pockets when they need it most and helps lift many children out of poverty, more so than some other programs,” said Sen. McDonald Rivet. The House passed it on Friday and it will be sent to the Governor's desk to sign into law.

We will continue to monitor these bills and provide updates and advocacy alerts when needed. You can follow along with the bills we are watching too by visiting our Action Center.

ASWB & LICENSURE UPDATE

As you are aware, the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) released the 2022 ASWB Exam Pass Rate Analysis,1 last fall, which highlighted what many social workers and test takers, particularly social workers of color and older social workers, knew to be true—that significant disparities in the pass/fail rate among social workers exist. Through conversations during statewide listening sessions, with practice owners, Deans and Directors, LARA, and various legislators, NASW-Michigan has created licensure recommendations. 

• Updating licensure levels - moving away from limited licenses to LMSW (successful completion of a program) and LCSW (program completion, supervised hours, and passage of clinical exam or alternative)

• Ask that ASWB waive or significantly reduce all retesting fees

• ASWB makes the practice exam free

• Removal of the requirement that work hours be completed before candidates are eligible to sit for the exam

• Ask that ASWB review the passing score and look at expanding the pass range

You can read our full list of recommendations here.

Over the  upcoming months, NASW-Michigan will work with the Michigan Board of Social Work, LARA, and our legislative partners in advocating for necessary changes to our licensure process. We will additionally continue to research best practices in social work supervision across the country as well as options for expanding reciprocity. Michigan has had licensure for just under twenty years, and this will be the first major effort to reflect and make updates. 

If you are interested in working with us around licensing advocacy, please email NASW-Michigan Director of Policy and Advocacy, Melina Brann, at  mbrann.naswmi@socialworkers.org .

MERIDIAN INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT

Clinicians from the Traverse City area have reached out in regards to Meridian (Michigan Medicaid) reducing reimbursement rates without warning. Meridian claims they have been paying the physician rate instead of the practitioner rate. Clinicians state that there has been a reduction of around 32% which started in September. Members have reached out to their State Representatives and Senators regarding this issue. 

If we do not hear back from their local representatives, NASW-Michigan has provided advocacy around rate decreases previously and is prepared to assist again. If you have experienced something similar, please email NASW-Michigan Director of Policy and Advocacy, Melina Brann, as mbrann.naswmi@socialworkers.org.

NATIONAL UPDATE

As you are probably aware, a number of Medicare payment cuts were scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2023. Senator Stabenow led the effort to address these cuts with the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which President Biden signed into law on December 29, 2022. This legislation provides a 2.5% increase above the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed Physician Fee Schedule payment rates and prevents implementation of payment cuts. Senator Stabenow ensures us that she will continue to lead the efforts to ensure stability for healthcare providers and our clients.