Urge Senate to Pass the National Pain Care Policy Act of 2009

According to the National Institutes of Health, pain is the most common reason Americans access the health care system (over 76.5 million Americans suffer from pain, both chronic and acute). The annual cost of chronic pain in the United States is estimated to be more than $100 billion annually. This figure includes loss of income, lost productivity, and health care expenses.

For people living in chronic pain, this is clearly a quality of life issue. Prolonged pain often becomes a disabling condition. As for the current debate over health care costs, understanding the causes of chronic pain and providing more efficient treatment represent a reduction in long-term costs.

The National Pain Care Policy Act of 2009 (H.R. 756) has been passed by the House of Representatives and is now in the Senate (S.660).

Summary of H.R. 756 by the Congresstional Research Service:

National Pain Care Policy Act of 2009 – Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to seek an agreement with the Institute of Medicine to convene a Conference on Pain to: (1) increase the recognition of pain as a significant public health problem in the United States; (2) evaluate the adequacy of assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and management of acute and chronic pain; (3) identify barriers to appropriate pain care; and (4) establish an agenda to reduce such barriers and significantly improve the state of pain care research, education, and clinical care in the United States. Allows the Secretary to enter into an agreement with another appropriate entity if the Institute of Medicine declines.

Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue and expand, through the Pain Consortium, an aggressive program of basic and clinical research on the causes of and potential treatments for pain. Requires the Pain Consortium to develop and make recommendations on appropriate pain research initiatives.

Requires the Secretary to establish the Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee to: (1) develop a summary of advances in federal pain care research relevant to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of pain and diseases and disorders associated with pain; and (2) identify critical gaps in basic and clinical research on the symptoms and causes of pain.

Allows the Secretary to provide for education and training to health care professionals in pain care.

Requires the Secretary to establish and implement a national pain care education outreach and awareness campaign to educate consumers, patients, their families, and other caregivers.

You can also read the full text of the bill at GovTrack.us.

Urge your state senators to support S.660 as part of overall health care reform. Visit The American Pain Foundation to access their template to contact your state senators regarding S.660.

76 million Americans need your help.

Read more: health policy

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Dave B.

6:34AM PDT on Sep 29, 2009

The National Pain Care Policy Act is not energetic enough or ambitious enough to make much of a difference for pain sufferers. The Pain Consortium which has existed for over ten years has not done muc to help pain sufferers- now Congress proposes new leadership to address the issue. I called Dr Fineburgs office-the President of the Institute on Medicine regarding the National Pain Care Policy Act and was directed to go to NIH. IN 1985 the IOM called pain a major health issues-25 years later they havent done much to improve pain care. The budget for pain research at NIH remains at less then 1%- USA Today this year called this meager. The pain consortium believes they dont need to be doing anymore then they are currently doing with regard to pain care- trust me- i wrote and called all their members. The National Pain Care Policy Act- has been sitting in Congress for years- obviously no one in Congress believes there is a need to rush to get the legislation passed- for they regard pain care as does the health care industry as a monor and insignificant issues. Congress should quadruple to budgest at NIH for pain and require involvemnet of citizen councils. They should enforce international law- the prohibition against cruel and degrading treatment. They shoould require all health care providers to obtain good education in pain care. The National Pain Care Policy Act will not avail pain sufferers much.

send a green star

Stacey H.

6:42AM PDT on Apr 10, 2009

Marijuana is definately the best when it comes to pain management with no side effects.

Faye R.

4:22PM PDT on Apr 3, 2009

I suffer from severe arthritic pain 24/7 and all the medications(so called pain killers)either make me nausous or depressed.The side effects are so debilitating and can be very addictive.And yet,marijuana ,which is very effective in helping me to cope but still illegal.How ridiculous is that.Not only am I in constant pain but I'm made to feel like a criminal as well,constantly worried about getting busted.When are the law makers going to get real about helping people to deal with there pain instead of allowing doctors to prescribe really dangerous medications so that the pharmacutical companies can get rich.

5:30AM PDT on Apr 3, 2009

I also have been sending this to everyone I know. This is a crucial and vital step in the process of helping those like myself, with horrible Chronic Daily Pain and Illnesses. Thanks for posting. I am thrilled to have everyone that can be reached about this on board. We need a voice, and we don't have it. Between pain specialists and other doctors under the "thumb" of the government, insurance companies, pharmacuetical companies, and all that is truly wrong, pain patients go around all too often in horrible pain that takes away their dignity, and their lives. It ruins jobs, relationships, and friend ships. I have went through many tests, doctors, and so forth, and it took me years to finally doctors to help me. My story is like many, and I am a strong advocate for changing the way chronic pain patients are treated, as well as those doctors that care and are trying to help,.