Cramer, Kaine Introduce Bill to Improve Care for Americans Living with Chronic Pain

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has joined forces to improve care for Americans living with chronic pain. U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), along with U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), introduced legislation strengthening federal research and giving clinicians better tools to diagnose and treat the condition.

The Advancing Research for Chronic Pain Act directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to identify gaps in chronic pain research, including non-opioid treatment options, improve data collection, and collaborate with patient advocacy groups, clinicians and researchers enhance research efforts nationwide. The bill also creates a centralized Chronic Pain Information Hub to compile and summarize research, make findings more accessible to clinicians and scientists, and translate new discoveries into better patient care.

"Living with chronic pain shouldn't mean living without hope," said Cramer. "Too many Americans have spent years searching for answers and trying inadequate treatments because of an information gap specific to chronic pain conditions. By strengthening research, especially for non-opioid solutions, and making it easier to share what's working, we can help doctors provide better care and give patients more effective treatment options."

"Over 60 million Americans live with debilitating and often life-altering chronic pain conditions. We must provide researchers with the tools and resources they need to understand pain, enhance treatment, and improve the lives of all those struggling with chronic pain," said Kaine. "I'm proud to introduce this bipartisan bill to help provide much-needed relief to every person living with these conditions."

According to the CDC, more than one in five U.S. adults were affected by chronic pain in 2021. The National Institutes of Health found inconsistent data and the lack of standardized measures have slowed progress in developing new diagnostic tools and treatments. This legislation specifically targets those deficiencies to improve the quality, coordination, and accessibility of chronic pain research to support better outcomes for patients.

Click here for bill text.