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Wrapping up the 2018 state legislative session
U.S. Pain Foundation tracked nearly 900 bills relating to patient access and safety issues at the state level this session. Those priority issues, which included medical cannabis, integrative pain care, and access to innovative therapy options, yielded 150 bills that...
The federal government wants to hear from pain patients
Opportunities for people with pain to have their voices heard by federal officials are rare. That’s why it’s so important for the public to take advantage of two major opportunities to comment on the state of pain care at the highest levels of the U.S. government: the...
ASA names U.S Pain “End Pain, Not Lives” Champion of the Year
On May 23, Americans for Safe Access (ASA) awarded U.S. Pain with its inaugural “End Pain, Not Lives” Champion of the Year, a new award that recognizes the organization that best supports ASA’s effort to make it easier for people with pain, chronic pain, and opioid...
U.S. Pain reps take part in first meeting of major pain task force
On May 30 and 31, U.S. Pain National Director of Policy and Advocacy Cindy Steinberg traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in the inaugural meeting of the Pain Management Best Practices Intra-Agency Task Force. The task force is comprised of 28 experts chosen...
Advocates rally in Connecticut and Illinois for patient safety
Milestone events took place on April 3 and 11 as U.S. Pain Foundation hosted a legislative breakfast and two advocacy days, a first for the organization, which previously has hosted them only in collaboration with allied partners. The focus of both days was bills that...
Congress hard at work on major new opioid-related legislation
This is an extremely busy time on Capitol Hill for legislation aimed at reducing opioid abuse and addiction. No less than four key committees with jurisdiction over health policy- Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), Senate Finance, House Energy and...
Migraine and headache patients: your action is needed
National Migraine & Headache Awareness Month (MHAM) this June is rapidly approaching! U.S. Pain is offering three fun, easy ways to get involved and help create awareness: Requesting a proclamation from your town or state Requesting a landmark or building in your...
Two U.S. Pain representatives nominated to major HHS committees
Two U.S. Pain Foundation staff members--Cindy Steinberg, national director of Policy and Advocacy, and Gwenn Herman, LCSW, DCSW, clinical director of Pain Connection--have been nominated to serve on influential committees within the U.S. Department of Health and Human...
High-level pain management task force accepting public comment
The Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force is a new, high-level federal think-tank consisting of 28 appointees, including Cindy Steinberg, National Director of Policy and Advocacy for U.S. Pain Foundation. Overseen by the U.S. Department of Health and...
Still time to take action to increase federal pain spending
A record 540 U.S. Pain members have sent 2,010 letters to their representatives through an online campaign to support the Opioids and STOP Pain Initiative Act. The bill would allocate $5 billion over 5 years toward developing new treatments for both chronic pain and...
U.S. Pain outlines recommendations for CMS
U.S. Pain’s National Director of Policy and Advocacy, Cindy Steinberg, is constantly fighting behind-the-scenes for improvements in pain care. One recent example: last week she and the Academy of Integrative Pain Management issued two joint letters--one to the U.S....
Access to medical cannabis continues to expand across the country
Patient advocates have been heartened to see more states making progress in allowing access to medical cannabis for chronic conditions like pain. In New Jersey, chronic pain was recently added to the list of qualifying conditions for chronic pain. Meanwhile, in West...
U.S. Pain takes to the Capitol with Headache on the Hill
On Feb.12 and 13, representatives from U.S. Pain Foundation proudly participated in Headache on the Hill (HOH) in Washington, DC. Now in its 11th year, HOH is an event that...
Advocate for medical cannabis in your state with a few clicks
U.S. Pain is offering three online letter-writing campaigns to urge legislators improve access to medical cannabis. Check below to see if your state is among those that don’t allow full access to medical cannabis for people with pain. Please note you may need to use...
What to expect in state legislation in 2018, and how to get involved
For the 2018 legislative sesion, Director of State Advocacy and Alliance Development Shaina Smith says that U.S. Pain will be offering more ways to engage than ever before. The State Advocacy team also has revamped its online tools for taking action. The latest...
Take action now to fight for medical cannabis access
Despite recent roadblocks, including Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ efforts to restrict recreational marijuana use and the Veteran Administration's refusal to study cannabis’s therapeutic benefit, legislation at the state and federal level is moving forward to allow...
Help support a landmark pain research funding bill
Pain advocates are encouraged to ask Congress to support Opioids and STOP Pain Initiative Act, which was introduced in December, through an easy online engagement campaign. HR4733/S2260 proposes to expand, intensify, and coordinate research at the National Institutes...
U.S. Pain testifies on key bills in MA
Cindy Steinberg, U.S. Pain’s national director of policy and advocacy, testified twice at the Massachusetts State House in recent weeks on important pain policy legislation. On Dec. 19, she testified in support of a bill to ensure pain is properly assessed and managed...
U.S. Pain speaks in favor of MA bill to protect pain assessment
On Dec. 19, Cindy Steinberg, U.S. Pain’s National Director of Policy and Advocacy, testified at the Massachusetts State House in support of a bill to require pain be assessed and managed in all types of healthcare facilities statewide. Steinberg was one of three...
U.S. Pain and 31 organizations speak out against repeal of patient access act
U.S. Pain and 31 patient and professional groups have submitted a letter to Congress urging it not to repeal the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2016, which would upend essential protections for some of the most vulnerable patients in the...
Rhode Island embraces chiropractic care to curb substance abuse
Some states are taking a proactive approach to curbing and managing substance abuse disorders, aiming to provide nonpharmacological care for underlying pain problems. Rhode Island’s Gov.Gina Raimondo signed legislation that requires insurers to cover chiropractic...
Group aims to put patients at center of assessing healthcare value
How does the healthcare system provide value to people with chronic conditions? It’s a question that has puzzled experts for years, prompting research, systematic reviews and assessments. Existing models tend to measure values held by healthcare professionals, rather...
Director of NIH speaks at top pain policy meeting
The Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee (IPRCC), the nation’s highest pain policy advisory committee, held its biannual meeting Oct. 23 at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) campus in Bethesda, MD. The IPRCC is the committee that oversaw the...
New York adds protections for patients on biologics
After a two-year process calling on New York State lawmakers to update patient protections surrounding biologic treatments, U.S. Pain Foundation is pleased to announce that Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a biologic substitution bill, Chapter 357 of the Laws of 2017. Earlier...
Understanding the new CVS opioid policy
Many in the chronic pain community expressed concern after CVS pharmacy announced this month that it will limit opioid prescriptions to seven days for acute or new conditions. The wording of the new policy is as follows: “This program will include limiting to seven...
Illinois governor signs network transparency bill into law
Ensuring network adequacy, transparency and uninterrupted service are all components of legislation recently signed into law by Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner. An important patient protection measure initiated by the Illinois State Medical Society (ISMS) and supported by...
Despite opposition, CMS to replace pain questions on major survey
Despite opposition from groups like the U.S. Pain Foundation, beginning in January 2018, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will change the pain management questions on patient hospital satisfaction surveys from how well staff did controlling...
Take action to help patients affected by Hurricane Harvey
As Texas and Louisiana continue efforts to keep residents safe, patient-centered organizations are concerned for pain patients and others who have had their treatments interrupted or are without medical equipment.To ensure patients affected by Hurricane Harvey do not...
U.S. Pain Advocacy Network revitalizes national coalition
In a conference room overlooking Washington, D.C., nonprofit organizations and other stakeholders gathered around the table and gave U.S. Pain Foundation the opportunity to present ideas and cultivate conversations surrounding patient access issues. Known as the...
State advocacy update: biologics & interchangeable biosimilars
[su_pullquote align="right"]Terms to know: Biologic—Made from living organisms and manufactured through biotechnology, these medications are among those used to treat conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and various forms of cancer. Biosimilar—A type of...