FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 23, 2022
MEDIA CONTACT: Meagan Platt | meaganplatt@rational360.com | (816) 377-9627
Voices for Non-Opioid Choices Coalition Applauds Congress for Expanding Access to Non-Opioid Pain Management Options in End-of-Year Legislative Package to Combat Addiction Crisis
NOPAIN Act Will Expand Access To Non-Opioid Pain Management Options For Millions Of Americans
Washington, DC (December 23, 2022) – Today, Congress took a crucial step forward in the fight to prevent opioid addiction through passage of the bipartisan Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (NOPAIN) Act in the congressional end-of-year legislative package. The NOPAIN Act (H.R. 3259/S. 586) addresses outdated federal reimbursement policies that inadvertently incentivize opioid prescribing.
The NOPAIN Act will:
- Expand patient and provider access to FDA approved non-opioid pain management approaches in all outpatient surgical settings beginning in 2025.
- Require a report to Congress on limitations, gaps, barriers to access, or deficits in Medicare coverage or reimbursement for therapeutic services.
Chris Fox, Executive Director of the Voices for Non-Opioid Choices Coalition, issued the following statement in response to congressional passage of the NOPAIN Act:
“We applaud Congress for taking critical and meaningful action to prevent opioid addiction before it starts by expanding access to safe, non-opioid options for acute pain. The NOPAIN Act is a proactive, much-needed solution to combat the deadly effects of the opioid crisis that takes the lives of 220 Americans every day. By making safe, FDA-approved non-opioid pain management options more accessible, Congress is allowing patients and families to work with their providers to have a choice in how they manage their pain.”
“The Voices Coalition commends those Members in the U.S. House and Senate who championed the NOPAIN Act and the patients, providers, family members, and other advocates who bravely raised their voices and shared their personal stories to advocate for this legislation. The passage of this bill would not have been possible without the support of those legislative champions and over 100 organizations and thousands of advocates who make up the Voices for Non-Opioid Choices Coalition.”
Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), champion sponsor, issued the following statement in response to congressional passage of the NOPAIN Act:
“While many of the overdose deaths in our nation involve fentanyl or another synthetic opioid, far too many still involve prescription opioids or were the result of an addiction that began with an opioid
prescription. The passage of the NOPAIN Act is a positive step towards preventing this initial addiction and will save lives.”
Representative Terri Sewell (D-AL), champion sponsor, issued the following statement in response to congressional passage of the NOPAIN Act:
“I’m thrilled that our NOPAIN Act was included and passed in the Fiscal Year 2023 omnibus government funding bill! By empowering doctors to prescribe treatments best-suited for their patients’ needs— including non-opioid alternatives—this bill represents a meaningful step forward in our continued battle against the opioid crisis. I was proud to lead this bill in this House and will continue working to lessen the risk of addiction and stem the needless loss of life.”
The NOPAIN Act was introduced and championed by Representatives Terri Sewell (D-AL), David McKinley (R-WV), Ann Kuster (D-NH), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R- WV), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Rob Portman (R-OH), and Joe Manchin (D-WV).
Voices for Non-Opioid Choices is a nonpartisan coalition dedicated to preventing opioid addiction before it starts by increasing patient and provider access to non-opioid therapies and approaches to manage acute pain. For more information, visit nonopioidchoices.org.
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