In March, the American Pain Foundation (APF) announced that several provisions from its National Pain Care Policy Act were included in the healthcare reform bill signed into law by President Obama in March. Pain affects more than 76 million people in the United States, including those with bleeding disorders.
Provisions from APF’s National Pain Care Policy Act 2009 (S. 660) include:
- Mandating an Institute of Medicine conference on pain to address key medical and policy issues affecting the delivery of quality pain care;
- Establishing a training program to improve the skills of healthcare professionals to assess and treat pain; and,
- Enhancing the pain research agenda for the National Institutes of Health.
“Including the provisions from the National Pain Care Policy Act into the National Health Care Reform Bill was not only a victory for people in pain but for healthcare providers as well,” said Will Rowe, APF CEO. “When people have access to the pain treatment that they deserve and doctors are provided the appropriate training they are seeking to treat them, many people in pain can resume active, productive lives worth living.”
APF is a nonprofit organization serving people with pain through information, advocacy and support.
Source: American Pain Foundation news release dated March 23, 2010
