Bill Keating: “I thank Chairman Dent and Ranking Member Bishop for their work on this appropriations bill, and for their cooperation…”

“I thank Chairman Dent and Ranking Member Bishop for their work on this appropriations bill, and for their cooperation with this amendment. I rise today to offer an amendment that will support a requirement of VA prescribers to complement a continuing medication course in pain management. Nationally, about 30 percent of Americans have some form of chronic pain. However, the percentage of veterans who report chronic pain is significantly higher. Over 50 percent of elderly veterans report chronic pain as do almost 60 percent of veterans returning from the conflict in the Middle East. In fact, chronic pain is the most common medical problem experienced by returning combat veterans in the last decade. Of course, pain is not a stand-alone problem. Pain is something we see as a consequence of physical injury, and sometimes that physical injury leads to co-occurring mental health ailments. We are increasingly more aware of the mental health consequences stemming from time in combat. Veterans with brain trauma are more likely to report physical pain and, in turn, are more likely to receive prescriptions for opioids. Recent VA data shows us that roughly 523,000 veterans are receiving prescriptions for opioids, and the number of veterans with opioid use disorders has grown 55 percent over the past 5 years. Veterans are twice as likely to overdose on prescription opioids as the general population.…”