Kind Proposes Legislation To Help Guide Pain Management In VA

U.S. Rep. Ron Kind has introduced new legislation in Congress that would encourage better pain management practices within the Department of Veteran’s Affairs’ health care system.

Kind’s new legislation, called the Jason Simcakoski PROMISE Act, would create a commission to explore alternative treatments for pain. Simcakoski was a former U.S. Marine who died from a drug overdose at the Tomah VA hospital in 2014.

The congressman said encouraging health care providers to use alternative methods like physical therapy and acupuncture could help address the over-prescription of painkillers.

“I think the easy default button is to load up patients with this cocktail of prescription drugs and hope that solves the problems. Oftentimes, it doesn’t,” said Kind.

The PROMISE Act is similar to Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s Opioid Safety Act, also named in honor of Simcakoski.