Conquering Pain Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-1278
Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
Introduced: 2003-06-18 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Access to health care
Administrative procedure
Armed Forces and National Security
Chronically ill
Commerce
Communication in medicine
Conferences
Congress
Congressional investigations
Congressional reporting requirements
Continuing education
Crime and Law Enforcement
Drug abuse
Drug law enforcement
Drug therapy
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Electronic government information
Families
Federal advisory bodies
Federal aid to child health services
Federal aid to health facilities
Federal employees
Finance and Financial Sector
Government Operations and Politics
Government employees' health insurance
Government publicity
Health counseling
Health education
Health insurance
Health maintenance organizations
Higher education
Home care services
Housing and Community Development
Indian medical care
Internet
Law
Managed care
Medicaid
Medical economics
Medical education
Medical personnel
Medical research
Medical residents
Medicare
Mental health services
Military dependents
Military medicine
Minorities
Nursing homes
Opium
Pain
Performance measurement
Physicians
Poor children
Psychotherapy
Quality of care
Research grants
Rural health
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare
State laws
Telemedicine
Terminal care
Terminally ill
Urban affairs
Web sites

Summary:
action_date: 2003-06-18
text: Conquering Pain Act of 2003 - Requires development and maintenance of an Internet website on evidence-based practice guidelines for pain treatment.
Requires the Medicare and Medicaid programs, programs through the Public Health Service Act, programs through the Indian Health Service, the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program, the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS), and other programs administered by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to inform individuals concerning such programs' pain management benefits.
Directs the Secretary to provide funds for special education projects to improve pain and symptom management.
Amends Medicare provisions relating to the Medicare+Choice program to provide for dissemination of pain and symptom management information.
Mandates a report by the Surgeon General on the state of pain and symptom management in the United States.
Mandates grants to health care provider training entities to establish six National Family Support Networks in Pain and Symptom Management.
Requires the existing Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPac) to report on specified financial, policy, and reimbursement barriers in providing pain and symptom management and palliative care.
Establishes the Advisory Committee on Pain and Symptom Management.
Mandates an Institute of Medicine report on controlled substance regulation and the use of pain medications.
Mandates grants for demonstration projects on: (1) effective methods to measure improvement in the skills and knowledge of health care personnel in pain and symptom management; and (2) end of life care.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-06-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2003-06-18
text: Introduced in Senate