Home
Menu

Advocacy

Advocacy is one of the three pillars of ASRA Pain Medicine's mission. ASRA Pain Medicine addresses this core purpose by advocating at the regulatory level in the best interest of our members and the patients they serve. (Note: ASRA Pain Medicine does not participate in political advocacy.)

The Latest Health Policy Updates

ASRA Pain Medicine Urges Insurers to Update Peripheral Nerve Stimulation Policies

Mar 13, 2026, 09:01 by ASRA Pain Medicine

 

ASRA Pain Medicine, along with other medical societies, recently joined together to send letters to major insurers, including Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, expressing concern over policies that classify peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) as experimental or investigational for the treatment of chronic pain. 

PNS has been studied and used clinically for more than two decades, with growing evidence supporting its effectiveness in treating a range of conditions such as chronic migraine, neuropathic pain, complex regional pain syndrome, and post-amputation pain. The letters highlight numerous clinical trials and real-world studies demonstrating meaningful improvements in pain relief and patient function, with some studies reporting significant reductions in disability and depression scores alongside reduced pain levels. 

The societies emphasized that PNS is a minimally invasive treatment option with a favorable safety profile, often allowing patients to avoid more invasive surgical procedures or escalating opioid use. Advances in device technology and improved understanding of neuromodulation have further strengthened its clinical utility in recent years. 
 
Importantly, PNS devices are FDA-cleared and recognized under national and local Medicare coverage policies, which acknowledge the therapy as reasonable and necessary for certain chronic pain conditions. In addition, a large body of literature, including randomized controlled trials and prospective studies, supports its use across multiple pain indications. 

Through this coordinated advocacy effort, ASRA Pain Medicine and our partnering societies are calling on insurers to align coverage policies with the growing body of clinical evidence. Ensuring appropriate access to therapies like PNS is essential to expanding treatment options for patients living with chronic pain and supporting physicians in delivering evidence-based care.

 

Read the letter to Cigna Healthcare.

Read the letter to United Healthcare.

Read the letter to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.

Read More

ASRA Pain Medicine Urges Insurers to Update Peripheral Nerve Stimulation Policies

Mar 13, 2026, 09:01 by ASRA Pain Medicine

 

ASRA Pain Medicine, along with other medical societies, recently joined together to send letters to major insurers, including Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, expressing concern over policies that classify peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) as experimental or investigational for the treatment of chronic pain. 

PNS has been studied and used clinically for more than two decades, with growing evidence supporting its effectiveness in treating a range of conditions such as chronic migraine, neuropathic pain, complex regional pain syndrome, and post-amputation pain. The letters highlight numerous clinical trials and real-world studies demonstrating meaningful improvements in pain relief and patient function, with some studies reporting significant reductions in disability and depression scores alongside reduced pain levels. 

The societies emphasized that PNS is a minimally invasive treatment option with a favorable safety profile, often allowing patients to avoid more invasive surgical procedures or escalating opioid use. Advances in device technology and improved understanding of neuromodulation have further strengthened its clinical utility in recent years. 
 
Importantly, PNS devices are FDA-cleared and recognized under national and local Medicare coverage policies, which acknowledge the therapy as reasonable and necessary for certain chronic pain conditions. In addition, a large body of literature, including randomized controlled trials and prospective studies, supports its use across multiple pain indications. 

Through this coordinated advocacy effort, ASRA Pain Medicine and our partnering societies are calling on insurers to align coverage policies with the growing body of clinical evidence. Ensuring appropriate access to therapies like PNS is essential to expanding treatment options for patients living with chronic pain and supporting physicians in delivering evidence-based care.

 

Read the letter to Cigna Healthcare.

Read the letter to United Healthcare.

Read the letter to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.

Pain Medicine Coalition

ASRA Pain Medicine and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) established the Pain Medicine Coalition (PMC) in 2024 to advance the common goals of the pain medicine community and to advocate for responsible pain care for all patients. The International Pain & Spine Intervention Society (IPSIS) and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R) are also members of the coalition. Its purpose is to develop, monitor, and advocate for responsible health care policy for people who experience both acute and chronic pain and the physicians who support them. They do their work through clinical care, education addressing quality of care, access to care, public and professional education, and research. 

Read more about the Pain Medicine Coalition:

ASA and ASRA Pain Medicine: Speaking With One Voice

President’s Message: The Power of ASRA Pain Medicine Volunteers

Are You a Member of AMA?

The American Medical Association (AMA) is the nation's largest physician organization and works to advocate for key issues that matter in your practice such as prior authorization, Medicare reform, promoting physician-led work, and more. ASRA Pain Medicine works with the AMA to advocate for the issues that matter in your practice with representation in the AMA House of Delegates, the Relative Value Scale Update Committee, and the Current Procedural Terminology Committees. ASRA Pain Medicine provides expert information and testimony specific to regional anesthesia and acute and chronic pain. 

Learn more about the benefits of membership in AMA.

Read the latest AMA news and sign up for news alerts at ama-assn.org.

Calculator and stethoscope cropped

Practice Management

Find more health policy information in our Practice Management Resource Center.

Visit the Resource Center
Close Nav