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Alternatives to PAIN Act

S. 3832 Sen. Thomas Tillis (R-NC) In committee
Bill text PDF
  1. Introduced Feb 29
  2. Committee Feb 29
  3. Passed Senate Next
  4. Passed House Not yet
  5. To President Not yet
  6. Law Not yet
Where it stands
In committee, Feb 29, 2024Next: Senate vote
972d ago Feb 29, 2024: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Final votes
No roll callsNo recorded vote on this bill yet
Lobbying
1company, 11 filings
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2trades in the last 90 days
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Summary

This bill amends Medicare Part D to improve access to non-opioid pain management drugs by reducing patient costs and removing certain utilization management restrictions. It applies to drugs approved by the FDA for acute pain that do not act on opioid receptors, have no therapeutically equivalent alternative sold in the U.S., and whose wholesale acquisition cost for a monthly supply does not exceed the monthly specialty-tier cost threshold set by the Secretary.

Sec. 2, Appropriate cost-sharing for qualifying non-opioid pain management drugs under Medicare Part D: For plan years starting on or after January 1, 2025, the Part D deductible does not apply to these drugs, and they must be placed on the lowest cost-sharing tier. Similar rules apply for low-income subsidy beneficiaries, ensuring no deductible and lowest cost-sharing.

Sec. 3, Prohibition on the use of step therapy and prior authorization for qualifying non-opioid pain management drugs under Medicare Part D: For plan years starting on or after January 1, 2025, prescription drug plans and Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans cannot impose step therapy that requires using an opioid first, nor can they require prior authorization for these drugs.

Summary of the bill text as introduced in Senate (Feb 29, 2024), generated by SecBot from the official bill text; the Library of Congress summary is not yet published.

Official record from Congress.gov, the House Clerk and the Senate; lobbying from Lobbying Disclosure Act filings. Updated Oct 28, 2026.