California Health and Safety Code

§ 124962

HSC § 124962 Effective Jan 1, 2023Div. 106 · Part 4.5

Statute text

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a)Nonpharmacological therapies for pain management have been proven effective for treatment of chronic pain and their use should be promoted just as are pharmacological analgesic therapies.

(b)The United States Department of Health and Human Services’ Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force identified barriers to accessing nonpharmacological therapies for pain management related to health care providers that include underestimation of patients’ reported level of pain, including unconscious biases, workforce shortages, especially among behavioral and pain management specialists, lack of research on or lack of awareness of novel and effective approaches to pain care, and cost and reimbursement issues specific to the health care system. For patients, cost, time, and transportation barriers, as well as lack of coverage or lack of knowledge and awareness of nonpharmacological options have been identified.

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Legislative history

Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 160, Sec. 1. (AB 2585) Effective January 1, 2023.