Alternatives to PAIN Act
Latest action · Feb 12, 2025 Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedFeb 12, 2025
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Alternatives to Prevent Addiction In the Nation Act or the Alternatives to PAIN Act
This bill reduces cost-sharing and prohibits the imposition of certain utilization requirements under the Medicare prescription drug benefit for certain non-opioid pain management drugs.
Specifically, the bill requires such drugs to be covered without a deductible and to be placed on the lowest cost-sharing tier (if any). The bill also prohibits the imposition of prior authorization requirements (i.e., requiring prior approval from a plan) or step therapy requirements (i.e., requiring the use of alternative drugs before a drug is covered under a plan) with respect to such drugs.
Cosponsors 116
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Feb 12, 2025 to Oct 19, 2026; 3 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-CA | Jimmy Panetta | Original | Feb 12, 2025 |
| R-PA | Mike Kelly | Original | Feb 12, 2025 |
| D-CA | Nanette Diaz Barragán | Original | Feb 12, 2025 |
| R-WV | Carol D. Miller | Feb 24, 2025 | |
| D-CT | John B. Larson | Feb 24, 2025 | |
| R-NY | Nicole Malliotakis | Feb 24, 2025 | |
| D-MA | Seth Moulton | Feb 24, 2025 | |
| R-MS | Michael Guest | Mar 18, 2025 | |
| D-IL | Nikki Budzinski | Mar 18, 2025 | |
| R-OH | Troy Balderson | Mar 18, 2025 | |
| D-NY | Yvette D. Clarke | Mar 18, 2025 | |
| R-TN | Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann | Mar 24, 2025 | |
| D-CA | Ted Lieu | Mar 24, 2025 | |
| R-NY | Claudia Tenney | Mar 31, 2025 | |
| D-CA | Scott H. Peters | Mar 31, 2025 | |
| R-VA | H. Morgan Griffith | Apr 7, 2025 | |
| D-MA | Jake Auchincloss | Apr 7, 2025 | |
| R-PA | Glenn Thompson | Apr 28, 2025 | |
| D-TN | Steve Cohen | Apr 28, 2025 | |
| D-OR | Andrea Salinas | Jun 3, 2025 | |
| D-DC | Eleanor Holmes Norton | Jun 3, 2025 | |
| R-AR | Steve Womack | Jun 3, 2025 | |
| R-KS | Tracey Mann | Jun 3, 2025 | |
| R-VA | Jennifer A. Kiggans | Jun 23, 2025 | |
| D-CA | Julia Brownley | Jun 23, 2025 | |
| D-WI | Mark Pocan | Jun 25, 2025 | |
| R-FL | Neal P. Dunn | Jun 25, 2025 | |
| R-GA | Austin Scott | Jun 26, 2025 | |
| D-WI | Gwen Moore | Jun 26, 2025 | |
| D-HI | Jill N. Tokuda | Jun 26, 2025 | |
| R-AL | Robert B. Aderholt | Jun 26, 2025 | |
| R-FL | Gus M. Bilirakis | Jul 2, 2025 | |
| D-VA | Suhas Subramanyam | Jul 2, 2025 | |
| D-CA | Jim Costa | Jul 10, 2025 | |
| R-GA | Earl L. "Buddy" Carter | Aug 1, 2025 | |
| D-MA | James P. McGovern | Aug 19, 2025 | |
| D-CA | Ro Khanna | Aug 19, 2025 | |
| D-IL | Robin L. Kelly | Aug 19, 2025 | |
| R-FL | Brian J. Mast | Sep 4, 2025 | |
| D-MN | Angie Craig | Sep 8, 2025 | |
| D-VA | Eugene Simon Vindman | Sep 11, 2025 | |
| D-NM | Gabe Vasquez | Sep 30, 2025 | |
| R-PA | Robert P. Bresnahan, Jr. | Sep 30, 2025 | |
| D-KY | Morgan McGarvey | Oct 8, 2025 | |
| R-PA | Brian K. Fitzpatrick | Oct 10, 2025 | |
| D-NC | Donald G. Davis | Oct 31, 2025 | |
| R-TX | August Pfluger | Nov 20, 2025 | |
| D-CA | Robert Garcia | Nov 20, 2025 | |
| R-FL | W. Gregory Steube | Dec 1, 2025 | |
| R-FL | Aaron Bean | Dec 2, 2025 | |
| R-FL | John H. Rutherford | Dec 2, 2025 | |
| R-TX | Randy K. Weber, Sr. | Dec 2, 2025 | |
| R-PA | John Joyce | Dec 3, 2025 | |
| R-MS | Mike Ezell | Dec 3, 2025 | |
| R-NC | Richard Hudson | Dec 3, 2025 | |
| R-TN | Tim Burchett | Dec 3, 2025 | |
| R-FL | Kat Cammack | Dec 4, 2025 | |
| D-WA | Emily Randall | Dec 5, 2025 | |
| D-CO | Brittany Pettersen | Dec 9, 2025 | |
| D-NH | Chris Pappas | Dec 9, 2025 | |
| R-OR | Cliff Bentz | Dec 9, 2025 | |
| D-PA | Madeleine Dean | Dec 9, 2025 | |
| R-PA | Ryan Mackenzie | Dec 9, 2025 | |
| D-FL | Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick | Dec 9, 2025 | |
| D-TX | Sylvia R. Garcia | Dec 9, 2025 | |
| D-AL | Terri A. Sewell | Dec 9, 2025 | |
| R-TX | Troy E. Nehls | Dec 9, 2025 | |
| R-NC | Pat Harrigan | Dec 10, 2025 | |
| D-MO | Emanuel Cleaver | Dec 18, 2025 | |
| D-RI | Gabe Amo | Dec 18, 2025 | |
| R-KS | Derek Schmidt | Dec 19, 2025 | |
| D-GA | Lucy McBath | Dec 19, 2025 | |
| R-MI | Tom Barrett | Dec 19, 2025 | |
| R-VA | John J. McGuire III | Jan 7, 2026 | |
| R-NY | Michael Lawler | Jan 13, 2026 | |
| D-MI | Shri Thanedar | Jan 23, 2026 | |
| D-CA | Zoe Lofgren | Feb 9, 2026 | |
| D-AZ | Adelita S. Grijalva | Feb 17, 2026 | |
| R-WI | Derrick Van Orden | Feb 20, 2026 | |
| R-NY | Andrew R. Garbarino | Mar 4, 2026 | |
| D-CA | Salud O. Carbajal | Mar 16, 2026 | |
| D-MA | Lori Trahan | Mar 25, 2026 | |
| D-CA | J. Luis Correa | Apr 13, 2026 | |
| D-CA | John Garamendi | Apr 13, 2026 | |
| R-UT | Burgess Owens | Apr 16, 2026 | |
| D-CA | Kevin Mullin | Apr 20, 2026 | |
| D-CA | George Whitesides | Apr 27, 2026 | |
| D-CA | Mike Thompson | Apr 27, 2026 | |
| R-VA | Ben Cline | Apr 30, 2026 | |
| D-NJ | Robert Menendez | May 13, 2026 | |
| D-MA | William R. Keating | May 20, 2026 | |
| D-NJ | Josh Gottheimer | Jun 2, 2026 | |
| D-VT | Becca Balint | Jun 3, 2026 | |
| R-IA | Ashley Hinson | Jun 4, 2026 | |
| R-SC | Sheri Biggs | Jun 4, 2026 | |
| D-OH | Greg Landsman | Jun 18, 2026 | |
| D-NY | Joseph D. Morelle | Jun 18, 2026 | |
| D-CA | Mark DeSaulnier | Jun 18, 2026 | |
| D-GA | Nikema Williams | Jun 18, 2026 | |
| R-FL | Cory Mills | Jun 29, 2026 | |
| R-NE | Don Bacon | Jun 29, 2026 | |
| R-NC | Tim Moore | Jun 29, 2026 | |
| D-NY | Thomas R. Suozzi | Jun 30, 2026 | |
| R-OH | Mike Carey | Jul 6, 2026 | |
| R-NY | Nicholas A. Langworthy | Jul 6, 2026 | |
| D-CT | James A. Himes | Jul 9, 2026 | |
| R-OH | Michael A. Rulli | Jul 9, 2026 | |
| D-AZ | Greg Stanton | Aug 10, 2026 | |
| D-MD | Jamie Raskin | Aug 10, 2026 | |
| D-DE | Sarah McBride | Aug 17, 2026 | |
| D-CO | Joe Neguse | Sep 2, 2026 | |
| R-UT | Mike Kennedy | Sep 2, 2026 | |
| D-WA | Marilyn Strickland | Sep 10, 2026 | |
| D-VA | Jennifer L. McClellan | Sep 28, 2026 | |
| D-FL | Darren Soto | Oct 19, 2026 | |
| R-IA | Zachary Nunn | Oct 19, 2026 |
Committees 2
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Energy and Commerce Committee | Referred Feb 12, 2025 |
| House | Ways and Means Committee | Referred Feb 12, 2025 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Feb 12, 2025Introduced in House
- Feb 12, 2025Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 171, no. 29, February 12, 2025, page H677.
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 475 | Alternatives to PAIN Act | Related bill | Feb 6, 2025 |
Titles 3
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure appropriate access to non-opioid pain management drugs under part D of the Medicare program.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Alternatives to PAIN Act
- Alternatives to Prevent Addiction In the Nation Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Health.
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Feb 12, 2025Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
