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Category: Advocacy

Advocacy Update on S.2922/H.R.7164, The Advancing Research for Chronic Pain Act 

Written by Lisa Van Allen, Chair of the RSDSA Advocacy Committee, for the RSDSA blog.

Chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain are major burdens on the United States population and economy—leading to patient suffering, loss of productivity, as well as increased health care and disability costs. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not regularly analyze or publish comprehensive population research data on pain, as it does for other major diseases. This needs to change.

High-quality data is crucial to identify trends, risks, and consequences of pain, and to inform interventions aimed at improving care and patient outcomes while reducing costs to the U.S. health care system.

The Advancing Research for Chronic Pain Act, S.2922/H.R.7164, is one of only a handful of bills ever introduced in Congress for people with pain. This bill would facilitate the creation of a public website for sharing aggregated and updated comprehensive population health data on chronic pain.

We are asking you to take action today by emailing, calling, and/or tweeting your federal senators and representatives, and: Requesting that the Senate hold a full vote on the SUPPORT Act reauthorization, which includes this bill.Requesting that members of the House of Representatives co-sponsor H.R.7164, the Advancing Research for Chronic Pain Act.

It is through taking action by using our voices that we can bring about change. Thank you for participating in this critical advocacy effort. Here, you will find resources to help you quickly and effectively contact your legislators via email, phone, and social media.

We need consistent, high-quality data to gain a better understanding of the public health problem of pain, and to guide efforts to improve care and reduce related expenses. Currently, we lack data on the following related to chronic pain:

  • Frequency and occurrence of pain conditions
  • Demographic information such as age, race, gender, socioeconomic status, and geographic location
  • Effectiveness of evidence-based approaches
  • Utilization of medical and social services
  • Both direct and indirect costs
  • Risk factors, coexisting conditions, and health outcomes

Chronic Pain Facts & Figures:

  • Chronic pain is an enormous public health problem.
  • The number of Americans impacted by chronic pain is staggering: 51.6 million Americans, or 20.9% of U.S. adults, experience chronic pain, according to a 2023 CDC report.
  • Of that number, 17.1 million experience high-impact chronic pain that interferes with the ability to function on a daily basis.
  • Musculoskeletal pain is the leading cause of disability in the United States.Chronic pain has been linked to depression, anxiety, substance use and misuse, and double the risk of suicide.
  • New cases of chronic pain now outpace those of diabetes, depression, and high blood pressure in theUnited States.
  • Two-thirds of military veterans report living with chronic pain.
  • 78% of Medicare beneficiaries, and 89% of Medicare beneficiaries under age 65, live with chronic pain.

Please write or call your congressional representatives today and ask them to support S.2922/H.R.7164, The Advancing Research for Chronic Pain Act.

You can find your House representatives and Senators by entering your zip code on https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative and https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member

References, citations, and sources found in this resource can be viewed at https://uspainfoundation.org/advocacy/advancingresearchact

The Veterans Health Administration Approves and Pays for Ketamine Infusions for Retired Military

Infusions cover depression, PTSD and Chronic Pain including CRPS

A Special Thank You to Shara Wilkey (Capt., USMC, Ret.)

By James Doulgeris, Chairman, RSDSA Advisory Committee

The Veterans Health Administration, Military News and independent contracted clinics have confirmed that the VHA has approved and will pay for ketamine infusions, including travel expenses in certain circumstances, to treat treatment resistant depression, PTSD and chronic pain including CRPS. Your physician’s approval is required, of course.

While this program has been in effect for some time, it has not been made well known. In fact, we had no idea it existed until Shara Wilkey (Capt., USMC, Ret.) brought it to our attention.

Finding an infusion center near you may be as simple as an Internet search (be sure to use a search engine using an advanced AI engine like Google or Microsoft). You may, however, need to contact the one nearest you, and that may require air travel. The VA does pay for travel expenses; however, it may require the assistance of your U.S. House Representativ’s or Senator’s Office to cut through the red tape according to Capt. Wilkey.

It’s worth mentioning that having a companion accompany you during the infusion is mandatory. However, information regarding whether the expenses related to the companion are covered remains unclear, as we couldn’t find concrete details. The VA did not have this information readily available when contacted, and they are yet to respond to our inquiry. We will keep this report updated if any further information becomes available.

As always, we express our gratitude for your service and want to emphasize that we are here to assist. You can reach out to us at [email protected] for any inquiries or assistance you may need.