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Join Us As We Tell Congress #WhyPainCounts!
Today, July 23, we are urging policymakers to support the Advancing Research for Chronic Pain Act, S.2922/H.R.7164, which is one of only a few bills ever introduced in Congress specifically for people with pain. At the U.S. Pain Foundation, we believe that...
Advancing Research for Chronic Pain Act Introduced in House
WEST HARTFORD, CONN., JANUARY 31, 2024 -A bipartisan bill introduced today in the House seeks to eliminate gaps in chronic pain care and promote treatment and research advancements for the millions of Americans living with pain. The Advancing Research for Chronic Pain...
An interview with Cindy Steinberg: CDC’s final issued Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain
On November 3, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its final 2022 Clinical Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain. Since the introduction of the CDC Guideline in 2016, there has been overwhelming and widespread evidence of serious...
Join U.S. Pain Foundation as we tell Congress that Pain Care Needs More Options – Virtual Advocacy Day 2022
Millions of people with chronic pain have been tapered off of opioid medications and not offered other treatment options leading to tremendous pain and suffering, feelings of abandonment, anxiety and depression and even suicide. This is untenable and must...
U.S. Pain Foundation’s Docket Comments to the FDA on the Development of Non-Opioid Analgesics for Acute Pain
The U.S. Pain Foundation recently submitted comments to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in response to its request for Guidance for Industry Comments to the Docket regarding the Development of Non-Opioid Analgesics for Acute Pain. Read U.S. Pain's comments
U.S. Pain Foundation’s Comments on the 2022 Revised Draft CDC Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids
Note: The following has been submitted to the CDC in response to the Revised Draft CDC Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids. To learn more and see how you can submit your own comment to the CDC, please click here. The U.S. Pain Foundation is pleased to...
U.S. Pain Advocates for Federal Government to Report Population Health Data on Chronic Pain
Congressional Budget Reports accompany the annual federal budget that Congress develops each year. In these reports, Congress explains how much funding it is allotting to federal agencies and programs and what its priorities are for the use of the funds....
Massachusetts: Action alert
There is an important bill in Massachusetts that we’d like for you to take action on. Prior authorization can be a cumbersome insurer approval process that can delay or prevent patients from being able to get treatment. Senate Bill SD255...
Join AfBPM’s pain summit
The Alliance for Balanced Pain Management's virtual summit is tomorrow from 11:30 am to 2 pm ET. The event is free and open to all, but you must register in advance. This annual summit brings together patients, providers, policymakers, and other stakeholders to...
Action opportunity: Help us thank key senators
Recently, the U.S. Senate released all 12 spending bills for fiscal year 2021. The Labor, Health, and Human Services budget report includes at least 13 sections related to pain management! This represents a huge step forward in the national commitment to improving...
Pain research federal committee meeting update
Since 2017, Gwenn Herman, LCSW, DCSW, Clinical Director of Pain Connection, has served as a public member/patient advocate on the Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee (IPRCC), the highest-ranking permanent pain policy committee in the United States, which...
U.S. Pain takes part in five-day virtual conference
U.S. Pain Foundation was proud to participate in the RetreatMigraine 2020 digital conference, hosted by CHAMP (Coalition for Headache and Migraine Patients), Nov. 5 through 9. The agenda was chock-full of special presentations, workshops, and activities geared toward...
CMS proposed rule could reduce access to innovative pain management options
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is planning to announce the finalization of a rule that could change how physicians are reimbursed for Medicare part B drugs (drugs administered in doctors’ offices) that are bought and billed by physicians and...
U.S. Pain spearheads letter to Congress, 49 organizations sign on
U.S. Pain Foundation’s Cindy Steinberg, National Director of Policy and Advocacy, has been leading a small workgroup focused on efforts at the federal level to advance the recommendations in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Pain Management Best...
U.S. Pain, AACIPM team up on pain management equity symposium
In honor of Pain Awareness Month, the U.S. Pain Foundation and the Alliance to Advance Comprehensive Integrative Pain Management (AACIPM) are co-hosting a virtual symposium on equity in pain care on Sept. 24 from 11 am to 3:30 pm ET. The event, "Equity in Access to...
Advocacy round-up
What better way to honor Pain Awareness Month than taking action at the federal level? Here are a few opportunities to engage this month, along with some advocacy updates. Ways to engage The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is accepting public comments...
CDC meeting outlines process for updating 2016 guidelines
On July 22, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) held a meeting of the Board of Scientific Counselors (BSC) for the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) to address the topic of pain management. The CDC is preparing to update its...
U.S. Pain joins CBD coalition
The U.S. Pain Foundation recently has been participating in the Collaborative for CBD Science & Safety (CCSS), created to provide a forum to exchange information and resources and respond to policies and practices affecting cannabidiol (CBD) research, safety, and...
Congress includes appropriation language about the Pain Management Best Practices report!
Your advocacy has made an impact. Congress has directed the Department of Health and Human Services to disseminate the Pain Management Best Practices Report to providers and create a public awareness campaign about pain via the House Labor, Health and Human Services,...
Virtual Advocacy Day update
Last month, the U.S. Pain Foundation rallied a total of 761 pain warriors nationwide to urge Congress to allocate funding for the Pain Management Best Practices Interagency Task Force report, a federal blueprint for improving pain care. Cindy Steinberg, National...
Read U.S. Pain’s comment to the CDC
Approximately 5,400 individuals and organizations responded to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s call for public comment on acute and chronic pain management and whether the CDC should update and expand its 2016 Guideline for Prescribing Opioids...
Good news for patients in Lousiana
U.S. Pain is pleased to share that Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards has signed into law House Bill 819, which expands the discretion of physicians so that they can recommend cannabis therapy for “any condition” that they consider “debilitating to an individual...
The need for migraine and headache awareness doesn’t end in June
Throughout June as National Headache and Migraine Awareness Month (MHAM), the U.S. Pain Foundation and fellow patient organizations focused their efforts on educating patients and the public about the realities of life with headache diseases. (And even though it's...
Continuing to represent the patient voice–virtually
While most in-person conferences and meetings have been canceled or postponed as a result of the pandemic, U.S. Pain Foundation staff were able to participate in three important virtual events recently. IPRCC meeting On June 16, Gwenn Herman, LCSW, DCSW, Clinical...
#MHAM2020: Two upcoming events, state advocacy campaign
June is Migraine and Headache Awareness Month (#MHAM)! A large percentage of our community lives with migraine and headache diseases, whether as the primary cause of their pain or a comorbidity. Nationwide, headache and migraine diseases affect 47 million Americans....
Thank you for fighting for change
Thank you. You created the groundswell we needed to start getting Congress to pay attention to the "Pain Management Best Practices" report. During our Virtual Advocacy campaign, 595 pain warriors sent 1,944 emails to Congress. 60 pain warriors made 144 calls to...
Join us as we fight for #aplanforpain!
We're dedicating today, June 11, to flooding policymakers with our request that they allocate funding for key recommendations in the "Pain Management Best Practices" report--a roadmap for improving pain care nationwide. At U.S. Pain Foundation, we believe this report...
Chronic pain approved as qualifying condition for cannabis in Connecticut
We are very pleased to share that Connecticut has approved chronic pain as a qualifying condition to be able to legally access medical cannabis. This means that no matter what causes your pain, whether it is lupus or osteoarthritis, you are eligible to get a medical...
Virtual Advocacy Training Series launches
On May 26, U.S. Pain Foundation launched its first-ever Virtual Advocacy Training Series for its top pain advocates. Typically, the organization hosts advocacy trainings as in-person weekend summits, but because of the COVID-19 situation, it elected to move the event...
Reminder: CDC docket deadline nearing
The June 16 deadline is rapidly approaching for submitting comments to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) official docket on pain. As covered in our May newsletter, the CDC opened this docket on April 17, requesting patients with acute and chronic...
CDC announces comment period to inform update of opioid guideline
On April 17, the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) opened an official docket requesting comments from patients living with acute and chronic pain about their perspective on the benefits and harms of opioid use as well as their experiences with...
Federal appropriations requests submitted
Congress has been hard at work on emergency supplemental appropriations bills in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic hardships confronting the nation. At the same time, they are continuing to work through the regular appropriations...
Kentucky: Two bills to take action on!
There are two important pieces of legislation related to chronic pain that we need you to take action on. House Bill 198 HB198 would allow Kentucky pain warriors more affordable access to 20 visits for pain treatments, including many therapies not typically...
2020 state pain policy trends round-up
State legislative sessions across the country are now in full swing! Here are some major trends we’re seeing related to state pain policy, along with opportunities to take action. You can find all of our opportunities to act here. More will be added soon! Affordable...
U.S. Pain brings 15 pain warriors to Headache on the Hill
On Feb. 10 and 11, representatives from the U.S. Pain Foundation joined the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy in Washington, D.C., to participate in the 13th Annual Headache on the Hill. The event brings together patients, caregivers, and health care providers...
U.S. Pain Foundation team members on the move
U.S. Pain team members traveled across the country this month to provide the patient perspective on pediatric pain management, back pain research, and successful models of integrated care. Society for Pediatric Pain Medicine Joined by pediatric pain warrior Mary Young...
Pain care state bills to follow in 2020
Join U.S. Pain Foundation's Advocacy Network on Wednesday, Feb. 19, at noon EST for this free presentation for volunteers, featuring Kentucky Representative Cherlynn Stevenson. Attendees will learn about the types of state-based policies being proposed this...
NY: Two exciting bills would help chronic pain community
Over the years, we've heard many stories from pain warriors who wished their health care providers knew more about chronic pain and ways to manage it. This year, New York lawmakers are taking significant steps to benefit the chronic pain community and better support...
Iowa: Bill that keeps you on your medications headed to hearing
Iowa State Rep. Tom Moore has proposed legislation that would keep individuals with chronic conditions medically stable on their therapies, without disruption from their insurer. HF 2089 will be heard before the House Human Resources Subcommittee on Wednesday, Feb. 5....
U.S. Pain spearheads joint letter to Congress from 30 patient and professional groups
U.S. Pain Foundation recently spearheaded a joint letter to the U.S. House Energy and Commerce (E&C) Committee and the E&C Health and Oversight Subcommittees requesting that they convene a hearing about the pain provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and...
Hearing on medical cannabis important progress; take action to ask for second hearing
On Jan. 15, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on discrepancies between state and federal medical cannabis policy and federal roadblocks to clinical research. Many felt the conversation was long overdue. “I honestly never dreamed I...
Maine pain warriors: Take action on tax credit for caregivers bill
The responsibilities carried out by a caregiver is an invaluable, yet vital role within the lives of chronic pain patients. The informal caregiver often goes unnoticed by communities and policymakers, but Maine is attempting to change that this year. LD 1919 would...
Summary of FDA listening session on osteoarthritis now available
Last August, U.S. Pain Foundation arranged for three patient representatives and one caregiver to speak about the challenges of osteoarthritis before senior officials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Silver Spring, MD. FDA listening sessions are...
Your advocacy made a difference in CMS’s recent decision!
This week, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) shared it will cover acupuncture for chronic low back pain. The news comes following a series of open comment periods offered by CMS on the topic. We alerted our volunteers to the second comment period...
Advocates continue to push for hearing on pain management best practices
As 2019 comes to a close, advocates are making a final push for Congress to hold a hearing on the Pain Management Best Practices Report, a series of outstanding recommendations for improving pain care nationally. "If even half of the recommendations in this report...
Chronic Pain Patients Pinpoint the Need for Improved Methods to Assess Pain
New York, NY – Nov. 21, 2019 – The US Pain Collaborative, comprised of advocacy leaders from across the pain community, today announced the publication of a report, titled “Chronic Pain Assessment: Patient Perspectives.” The report, driven by survey data on patient...
Survey study reveals improvement needed in pain assessment
U.S. Pain Foundation was one of six patient advocacy groups to collaborate on a survey to understand patient awareness of and satisfaction with chronic pain assessment methods. More than 2,700 people living with a variety of chronic pain conditions responded, and the...
Read U.S. Pain’s letter to the FDA
U.S. Pain Foundation was among several hundred organizations and individuals to weigh in on a recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) comment period. Specifically, the FDA asked for the public's views on two main issues: What criteria the FDA should use to evaluate...
Pain warriors convene in Dallas for Advocacy Summit
Despite challenges often faced when traveling with a chronic pain condition, 19 advocates and a handful of caregivers rallied together in Dallas, TX, for a U.S. Pain Foundation Advocacy Summit. The goal was to help people with pain understand how they can take action...
