Advocacy for Massage Therapy under the Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation Act, the “NOPAIN Act” (H.R. 3259/S. 586)
UPDATE! THE NOPAIN Act passed in December 2022. Below is a video explanation facilitated by Christine Hoober, Manager in the Government Relations Department of AMTA.
Thank you for all who supported the passing of the NOPAIN Act.
Below is a copy of the message altered in bold italics for participants. PLEASE USE THE MESSAGE BELOW OR EDIT TO SHOW THAT YOU ARE A RECIPIENT OF MASSAGE THERAPY - the original messaging is created for massage therapists and therefore reads “..,and a practicing massage therapist,…”
As your constituent, and a recipient of massage therapy, I urge you cosponsor the Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation Act, the "NOPAIN Act" (H.R.3259/S. 586) which increases patient access to nonpharmacological therapies for pain management. Given the unfortunate rise in opioid addiction in the U.S., a situation largely exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, passage of this common sense, bipartisan legislation is more urgent than ever before.
The legislation requires a report to be submitted to Congress identifying limitations, barriers to access, and deficits in Medicare coverage of complementary and integrative therapies, such as massage therapy, that have been identified and endorsed in the 2019 final report of the HHS Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force ("Task Force Report"). The Task Force Report emphasizes the value and importance of massage therapy as a vital tool to address both acute and chronic pain.
Massage therapy is a well-accepted nonpharmacological therapy for managing pain, including a variety of specific chronic and acute pain issues. Its benefits are recognized by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and included in nonpharmacological pain guidelines issued by The Joint Commission, the American College of Physicians (ACP), and the Federation of State Medical Boards. Massage therapy has also been specifically mentioned in guidelines for opioid alternatives by the Attorney General of West Virginia, and included in a 2017 letter from 37 State Attorneys General to the President and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), encouraging insurance coverage of alternatives to opioids, such as massage therapy.
Massage therapy is recognized by the Department of Defense and the Veterans Health Administration as an effective treatment for chronic pain, and is a covered service in DoD/VHA facilities. Additionally, the Medicare Advantage (MA) program includes massage therapy provided by a licensed massage therapist as an optional supplemental benefit.
While there is no one 'silver bullet' to address the overall issue of pain and its relevance to opioid misuse, massage therapy is one tool that serves as a cost effective, research-supported therapy to help mitigate our nation's opioid crisis. Massage has the potential to reduce the number of people with addiction disorder by nearly 111,137 per year and can reduce the financial burden of opioid over-prescription and addiction by saving the U.S. as much as $25.99 billion annually (https://www.amtamassage.org/globalassets/documents/publications-and-research/mt_in_integrative_care_and_pain_management.pdf).
Despite its proven effectiveness to improve quality of life and help reduce opioid abuse, massage therapy is not covered by traditional Medicare and only a small number of state Medicaid plans provide coverage. Congressional support is necessary to help increase patient access to integrative therapies such as massage therapy for managing pain.
I ask that you please cosponsor the NOPAIN Act without delay. Thank you in advance for your support.
Find your congress members here
More information regarding the NOPAIN Act (H.R 3259/S. 586) can be found here.
Current Texas co-sponsors are Rep. Allred, Colin Z. [D-TX-32] and Rep. Fletcher, Lizzie [D-TX-7]
