Derrick Van Orden, U.S. Representative of Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district | Official U.S. House headshot
Derrick Van Orden, U.S. Representative of Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district | Official U.S. House headshot
Today, Congressmen Derrick Van Orden and Greg Landsman introduced a bipartisan bill aimed at increasing veterans' access to non-opioid pain medications. The legislation, named the NOPAIN for Veterans Act, seeks to reform how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) manages veteran pain treatment by ensuring that non-opioid drugs covered by Medicare are also available under VA pharmacy benefits.
The opioid crisis has significantly affected various demographics across the United States. In 2022, Congress passed the Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (NOPAIN) Act to make non-opioid pain management more accessible for seniors on Medicare. This new bill aims to extend similar benefits to veterans.
Original cosponsors of this legislation include Representatives Terri Sewell, Jack Bergman, Chris Pappas, and Abraham Hamadeh.
"I thank the VA for taking the issue of opioid administration mismanagement seriously and the great strides they have made over the years to improve care for our vets," said Rep. Van Orden. "Veterans must have access to comprehensive medical treatment plans, and the NOPAIN for Veterans Act will provide pain management alternatives that are safer, more effective, and promote long-term recovery."
Rep. Landsman emphasized that "our veterans deserve the very best care," highlighting that this bipartisan bill is a step towards making non-opioid treatments more affordable and available as a preventive measure against addiction.
Rep. Sewell noted that in 2022 Congress took an important step against opioids with their initial NOPAIN Act for seniors and stated that this new act builds on those efforts by ensuring similar treatments are available for veterans.
"Our Veterans deserve access to every effective treatment available - without red tape or delay," said Rep. Bergman regarding chronic pain management with safe alternatives.
Rep. Pappas added that "making non-opioid pain management more affordable and accessible to veterans is common sense" both for health reasons and addiction prevention.
Finally, Rep. Hamadeh expressed pride in cosponsoring this act: "Far too many of our Veterans have fallen victim to the Opioid epidemic due to lack of access... Our Veterans deserve access."
Alerts Sign-up