Letter To The Editor: NASW can and should do more to advocate for access to affordable healthcare in the United States

Greetings –

In an effort to meet the grand challenge of “advancing long, healthy and productive lives,” the NASW can and should do more to advocate for access to affordable healthcare in the United States. According to the 2021 NASW policy priorities, there is a call to “protect and expand the ACA” (p.10) and “strengthen and modernize the public health system” (p.6). However, I urge the NASW to go beyond this statement and advocate for universal healthcare coverage, making quality healthcare available and affordable to all Americans. Even with the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2009, 10.9 percent of, or 28.9 million, non-elderly Americans remained uninsured (American Medical Association, 2021) prior to the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Further, while complete data is not yet available, approximately three million people may have lost their health insurance between March and September of 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2020).

Our current healthcare system is leaving millions without essential coverage. Even for those with insurance, high premiums and deductibles make healthcare unaffordable for many Americans, with more than 50% of adults indicating they have forgone medical care due to cost (AMA 2021; KFF 2020). Our current system is broken and favors the privileged. Accordingly, I urge the NASW to advocate for additional advancements to our healthcare system, including universal healthcare.

Sincerely,
Jessi Valenzuela
California State University MSW Student, Class of 2021

References

American Medical Association. (2021). 2021 and Beyond: AMA’s Plan to Cover the Uninsured. Retrieved February 20, 2021, from https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/2021-01/2021-ama- plan-to-cover-uninsured.pdf

Kaiser Family Foundation (2020). How Has the Pandemic Affected Health Coverage in the U.S.? Retrieved February 20, 2021, from https://www.kff.org/policy-watch/how-has-the-pandemic-affected-health-coverage-in-the-u-s/

National Association of Social Workers. (2021). 2021 Blueprint of Federal Social Policy Priorities. Retrieved February 20, 2021, from https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=KPdZqqY60t4=&portalid=0