Over a 3-day period in March, 60 CMSA members met virtually with members of Congress and their staff to represent case managers nationwide and advocate for CMSA's public policy priorities. Participants of the 2023 CMSA Virtual Hill Visits Program worked to educate legislators about the importance of case managers and their critical role in improving patient health outcomes. This important event helped elevate the professional practice of case management and the immediate needs of case managers nationwide.

The CMSA Public Policy Committee is tasked with developing the legislative agenda for the association each year. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was signed into law in March 2020 to provide relief for individuals and businesses as a result of the pandemic and included many provisions that increased the ability of case managers to care for patients, as well as patients' ability to receive care. After extensive research into the CARES Act, the Committee recommended the following priorities, which continue into 2023:

* Workforce development: CMSA is highly committed to workforce development initiatives defined in three ways: development of professional skill set; attracting new case managers to the professional practice; and recognition of case management as a critical component of the health care team. The 2022 revision of the CMSA Standards of Practice for Case Management includes a public definition of case management to better inform both the public and elected officials of the importance of case managers: "Case managers are health care professionals who serve as patient advocates to support, guide, and coordinate care for patients, families, and caregivers as they navigate their health and wellness journeys."

* Telehealth: Although telehealth is certainly not a new technology or a new mode of communication, recent temporary policy changes have reduced barriers to telehealth access and have promoted its use to deliver acute, chronic, primary, and specialty care. CMSA supports both state and federal legislation around telehealth to make access permanent, include case managers in reimbursement models, and understand potential limitations.

* Mental health: CMSA is committed to being actively involved in ensuring that mental health services are a critical component within the integrated case management model of care and that the temporary funding for expanded mental health services and substance use disorder services is made permanent. Although awareness of mental illness and substance use disorder is on the rise, more formal policy is needed to support community programs, overall funding, and continued access.

Through scheduled meetings, participants of the CMSA Virtual Hill Visits Program made progress in advancing the awareness of the professional practice of case management to ensure "a seat at the table" for future health care legislation. In addition, CMSA advocates worked for more permanent access to and funding for both telehealth and mental health services beyond the public health emergency, set to expire on May 11 at the time of this writing.

CMSA's public policy efforts are ongoing and include educational webinars, articles, blogs, and in-person sessions. In addition, work continues to support the CMSA Chapters with their grassroots efforts and encourages all case managers to be active locally and at the state level. Stay tuned for what is next and more information on how you can get involved and make an impact.