ASA Endorses Legislation to Expand Access to Non-Opioid Pain Treatments

The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is pleased to endorse HR 5172, the Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (NOPAIN) Act, introduced by Representative Terri Sewell (D-AL-7) and Representative David McKinley (R-WV-1), along with 49 other cosponsors. This legislation expands access to non-opioid medication for Medicare patients by addressing barriers to non-opioid pain management. 

The NOPAIN Act would direct the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide separate reimbursement under Medicare for non-opioid treatments used for pain management in both the hospital outpatient department (HOPD) and the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) settings. The Senate companion legislation, S. 3067 was introduced by Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Senator Doug Jones (D-AL), along with 18 other cosponsors.

ASA has previously supported separate Medicare reimbursement for non-opioid treatments used to treat pain in both the HOPD and ASC settings. In 2018, ASA submitted formal comments to CMS stating this policy should be applied to both the ambulatory surgical and hospital outpatient department settings, not just ASCs as CMS suggested in the proposed rule.

ASA supports a multimodal and interdisciplinary approach to pain treatment and believes this policy encourages the best possible care for patients and urges this legislation to be advanced in Congress.