U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) on Oct. 28 sponsored a bipartisan bill aimed at increasing access to non-opioid pain management options under Medicaid Part D for Americans living with chronic pain.
“One in five adults in the U.S. live with chronic pain, like arthritis, nerve pain, and fibromyalgia,” Sen. Daines said. “The last thing they should have to worry about is access to safe and reliable treatments.”
Of the 50 million adults living with chronic pain, almost half experience high-impact chronic pain, limiting productivity and contributing to more than $550 billion in direct healthcare costs annually. The high costs or lack of coverage for non-opioid medications has made many Medicare beneficiaries turn to using opioids.
In fact, diagnosed opioid use disorder is now among the highest and the fastest-growing in the nation, while Medicare plan design and the very low cost of generic opioids create barriers to effective non‑opioid therapies, according to a bill summary provided by the senator’s office.
Sen. Daines introduced the Relief of Chronic Pain Act of 2025, S. 3064, with lead original cosponsor U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) to address gaps in Medicare Part D coverage for people with chronic pain.
If enacted, S. 3064 would waive deductibles for qualifying non-opioids for chronic pain; place such drugs in the lowest cost-sharing tier; and prohibit step therapy and prior authorization practices for such drugs, the summary says.
“We must invest in pain-management options that do not involve addictive drugs,” said Sen. Cantwell. “This bill will allow seniors to access non-opioid pain management options to treat chronic pain and help with longer term recoveries.”