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HR 1628 114th Congress House Armed Forces and National Security Congressional oversight Department of Veterans Affairs Drug therapy Drug trafficking and controlled substances Executive agency funding and structure Health information and medical records Prescription drugs Veterans' medical care

Veterans Pain Management Improvement Act

Introduced: March 25, 2015 See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Apr 7, 2015
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Mar 25, 2015
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Mar 25, 2015
Introduced in House
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Veterans Pain Management Improvement Act

Directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a Pain Management Board in each Veterans Integrated Service Network.

Requires each Board to provide: (1) recommendations for treatment, on an in-patient or out-patient basis, for patients with complex clinical pain for whom a request has been made by the patient, the patient's physician, spouse, family member, or an individual designated by the patient to make health care decisions or receive health care information for the patient, or an employee of the covered VA facility; and (2) recommendations on best practices regarding pain management in complex clinical pain cases to VA health care professionals located in the Network covered by the Board.

Requires each Board to annually submit to the VA a report on pain management practices carried out in the covered Network.

Directs the VA, by December 1, 2015, to submit to specified congressional committees the approved clinical guideline, handbook, directive, policy, or other guidance established to govern the step-down methodologies employed by clinicians in VA medical facilities to manage the use of opioid therapies and associated prescribing practices.

What's happening now April 7, 2015

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2