Pictured is Congressman Glenn Thompson.

Congressman Glenn Thompson is highlighting a bill aimed at opening up more non-opioid treatments for pain management for the nation’s seniors.

“Our nation is experiencing a public health care emergency,” Thompson said in his most recent newsletter. “The opioid epidemic has reached crisis levels, and it is crucial that we take steps to protect the most vulnerable.

To that, he joined the Alternatives to Prevent Addiction in the Nation (PAIN) Act as a co-sponsor last month.

“This legislation would improve access to non-opioid pain alternatives for Medicare Part D beneficiaries, increasing patient prescription choices and removing financial barriers on alternative prescriptions,” Thompson said.

“In recent years, millions of seniors have been diagnosed with an opioid use disorder,” he added. “To combat this rise in opioid use, we must improve non-opioid alternatives for pain.”

The bill was first introduced back in January and is sitting with a House committee.

According to a press release from the prime sponsor, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa),

1.1 million seniors were diagnosed with an opioid use disorder in 2021 and 50,400 seniors experienced an opioid overdose-from prescription opioids, illicit opioids, or both.

The number of Americans who died as a result of an overdose increased 63 percent between 2012 and 2020.