Massage Therapy Journal Fall 2024

Fall 2024 • 13

an educational pamphlet on the use of non opioid alternatives for treatment of pain, including massage therapy. • Massachusetts SB 659 is an act relative to removing barriers to non-opioid pain management. This bill is still in play and would not require insurance preauthorization for alternative pain management services. It does, however, mandate that insurance carriers annually distribute educational materials to providers and members about the pain management access plan. • California AB 1751 would have required the health care prescriber to discuss the availability of non pharmacological treatments for pain before directly dispensing or issuing a first prescription to a patient for a controlled substance containing an opioid. Although this bill has died, similar legislation has passed in other states. We are hopeful that comparable, from the opioid crisis. This legislation which involves strengthening the patient and health care provider relationship and making potential new treatments available upon FDA approval, stalled in the house in May. We hope to see similar legislation in the future. • Missouri HB 2182 was enacted and signed by the governor in April. This new law requires that the Department of Health and Senior Services develop and publish on its website an educational pamphlet regarding the use of non-opioid alternatives for the treatment of acute, subacute and chronic pain. The information in the pamphlet must conform to the most current clinical practice guidelines for prescribing opioids for pain issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. or more expansive legislation, will be introduced in California in the future. • South Carolina S 1282 calls for continued examination and implementation of best practices towards recovery

• Washington SB 6244 (The Pain Parity Act) stated that the Department of Health will develop and publish an

educational pamphlet regarding the use of non-opioid alternatives for the treatment of pain on its website. This type of bill often takes multiple sessions to move through the legislature, and we are hopeful we will see similar legislation again in 2025. • Montana HB 751 was of Public Health and Human Services develop and publish an educational pamphlet on its website regarding the use of non-opioid alternatives for the treatment of acute non-operative, acute perioperative, subacute or chronic pain. • Illinois HB 5355 would create the Non-Opioid Alternatives for Pain Act. We will continue to monitor this bill, which would require the Department of Public Health to develop and publish an educational pamphlet regarding the use of non-opioid alternatives for pain treatment. The legislation also states that health care practitioners shall exercise professional judgment in selecting appropriate treatment modalities for pain, in accordance with specified Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, including the use of non-opioid alternatives. If a health care practitioner prescribes an opioid drug, they must provide certain information to the patient, discuss certain topics and document the reasons for the prescription. • New Hampshire HB 303 is related to the insurance coverage for pain management services, including massage therapy. This bill has been referred for interim study, which means it will be studied between now and the start of the next legislative session in 2025. enacted and signed by the governor in April. This new law requires the Department

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