Tips and Tools for Social Workers

During the COV-19 pandemic, Medicare expanded telehealth access by waiving geographic restrictions, broadening provider eligibility, and covering more services. Many of the telehealth waivers were scheduled to end on December 31, 2024.

Congress has intervened and approved the following telehealth updates through legislation, https://www.congress.gov/118/bills/hr10545/BILLS-118hr10545enr.pdf

Effective January 1, 2025, clinical social workers will be able to seek reimbursement for Safety Planning and Follow-up Interventions. Establishment of these payment services is an important step by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to help address the growing suicide and overdose populations.

As youth age into adulthood, they typically transition from pediatric medical services to adult providers when they are between 18 and 24 years old. Social workers should be aware of the evidence base around health care transitions for youth, and in pediatric settings, social workers can lead the process to help youth and their families prepare for their transition to adult care.

The National Association of Social Workers is issuing a reminder that the deadline to submit the Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Report is approaching. Social workers in solo or group private practice must comply with the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) by filing a BOI with the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). This applies to entities like LLCs, PLLCs, and S-Corps.

The Medicare annual coordinated election period, also known as the open enrollment period (OEP), opened on October 15 and ends on December 7. During this time, people who are already enrolled in Medicare can review, compare, and modify their coverage options. Changes made during the 2024 OEP affect coverage between January 1 and December 31, 2025.

Effective October 1, 2024, clinical social workers were impacted by several code changes to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM). Clinical social workers should pay attention to Chapter 5, Mental, Behavioral, and Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Six new codes have been added to mental health disorders: four are for eating disorders and two are for adults.