This statement came in from Congressman Walz's office:
Yesterday, the House of Representatives approved legislation authored by Congressman Walz that will improve veterans' pain care at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Walz's legislation, the Veterans Pain Care Act of 2008, was included in H.R. 6445, the Veterans Health Care Policy Enhancement Act of 2008, which passed the House by voice vote on Tuesday evening.
"After hearing what a problem chronic and acute pain can be among our veterans, I decided something must be done," said Walz. "Pain is a leading cause of disability among veterans and my bill will lead to a real improvement in the quality of life for our veterans."
Walz's bill requires the Secretary of the VA to develop and implement a comprehensive policy on pain management for veterans enrolled in the VA health care system, and to carry out a program of research, training and education on acute and chronic pain - training and education both for providers, and for veterans and their families.
Walz continued, "The VA recognizes that chronic and acute pain among our veterans is a serious problem, and I applaud VA's existing pain care programs. This legislation builds on those to give VA the necessary tools to provide comprehensive pain care on a uniform basis throughout the VA's health care system."
This bill has wide support from dozens of organizations, including the Pain Care Coalition and the American Cancer Society, as well as patients and numerous Veterans Service Organizations.
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