Advocacy

Advocacy and AOSW

AOSW envisions a global society in which oncology care meets the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of all people affected by cancer.

We advocate for institutional and public policies that support this vision, including policies that address the needs of people affected by cancer and policies that advance the profession and practice of social work in oncology.

Advocacy is a core facet of social work practice, a professional responsibility outlined in our code of ethics. AOSW equips and supports our members in their advocacy efforts at the micro, meso and macro levels of practice.

Sarah Conning, LCSW, AOSW Past President, describes how Advocacy is Ethics in Action in her May 2022 President’s Message in the AOSW Connections Newsletter. (Read the latest issue.)

AOSW Policy Priorities

Our current policy priorities are:

• Extending telehealth flexibilities to increase access to care
• Licensure reciprocity for social workers
• Multi-cancer early detection screening
• Student loan forgiveness
• Medicare reimbursement rate for clinical social workers
• Paid family and medical leave

Strength in Numbers

With the knowledge that there is strength in numbers, AOSW often joins efforts with other allied organizations to achieve a shared goal and increase awareness of our professional opinion.

Recent letters of support and areas of interest include:

2023

• Cancer Leadership Council Endorses Bertagnolli as NIH Director 10.2023
• Improving Access to Mental Health Act
• Medicare and Medicaid Programs; CY24 Payment Policies
• Texas Hippocratic Medicine Ruling Statement
• Medicare Drug Pricing
• Biomarker Testing

2022

• Senate Clinical Trials Letter
• Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening
• Community Letter in Support of Clinical Trial Diversity
• CAPs Community Support Letter
• Additional Resources for COVID-19 Response
• Emergency Paid Sick and Family Caregiving Leave
• CLC Congratulates FDA Commissioner Califf
• Moonshot Initiative
• Patients and Caregivers for Paid Leave
• Telehealth Reform
• HDHP-HSA Stakeholder Letter
• Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act (AKACA)

2021

• Cures 2.0_HR6000
• DIVERSE Trials Act
• Paid Leave BBB Act Statement
• Letter to Governors on Emergency Licensure Waivers
• Patients and Caregivers for Paid Leave
• 21st Century Cures 2.0
• Clinical Consensus on Medically Essential Dental Care
• Medicare Physician Fee Schedule CY 2022
• Navigator Program Payment Parameters
• Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H)
• Statement on COVID-19 Vaccination
• Post-COVID “Telehealth Cliff”
• Six Protected Classes

Oncology Navigation Standards  

• Oncology Navigation Standards of Professional Practice (2022)

AOSW Position Statements

• Statement of Policy Principles (2020)
• A Statement on Race (2020)
• Policy Principles for Health Care Access and Insurance (2017)

Get Involved
The Advocacy Committee is composed of AOSW members from diverse work settings and geographic areas. To join our efforts or learn more about the work of the AOSW Advocacy Committee, please contact Advocacy Director, Katie Tremel, katie@cancersupportscin.org.