Join the Northeast Ohio Opioid Consortium for our next virtual Opioid Education Series Event, focused on the evolving landscape of federal pain management policy. As we continue our work to mitigate the overdose crisis, expanding access to safe, non-addictive pain management alternatives is a critical prevention strategy. This session will feature presentations from three experts highlighting current federal legislative efforts aimed at removing barriers to non-opioid treatments and preventing addiction before it starts. 

Meet Our Presenters 

Jodi Mitchell, Sr. Director of Government Relations & Policy | WellLink Health Alliance 

About Jodi: Jodi brings over 25 years of healthcare policy and advocacy experience at the federal, state, and local levels. She guides the development of strategic government relations, leading partnerships among member hospitals and community collaborators. Her extensive background includes serving as a Health Equity Specialist for Aetna, a Health Policy Program Officer for the Mount Sinai Health Foundation in Cleveland, and the Executive Director for Kentucky Voices for Health. She began her career in the Ohio Legislature and holds a degree in political science from Bowling Green State University. 

Christopher Fox, Voices for Non-Opioid Choices 

About Christopher: Christopher Fox is the Executive Director of Voices for Non-Opioid Choices, a national, nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing opioid addiction by promoting access to safe, evidence-based, non-addictive pain management options. Based in Washington, D.C., the coalition works to ensure that patients—especially vulnerable groups like seniors and veterans—have meaningful choices in managing pain without resorting to opioids. 

U.S. Representative Greg Landsman 

Ohio's 1st Congressional District 

About Rep. Landsman: Rep. Landsman serves as the U.S. Representative for Ohio's First Congressional District. With a background as a former public-school teacher, nonprofit leader, and Cincinnati City Councilman, he has dedicated his career to advocating for families and communities. He is a driving force behind current pain management policy as a key sponsor of the NOPAIN for Veterans Act, demonstrating his strong commitment to ensuring our nation's veterans have safe, reliable access to FDA-approved non-opioid pain management options through the VA. 

Key Federal Legislative Efforts We Will Cover 

NOPAIN Act: Signed into law in 2022 and taking effect in 2025, this foundational law directs Medicare to provide separate reimbursement for non-opioid treatments for outpatient post-operative pain, successfully removing financial barriers for doctors and their patients. 

Alternatives to PAIN Act: Currently advancing with robust bipartisan support in Congress, this legislation aims to build on the success of the NOPAIN Act. It ensures Medicare Part D beneficiaries have reliable access to non-opioid treatments by placing them on the lowest cost-sharing tier and eliminating step-therapy requirements. 

NOPAIN for Veterans Act: Introduced with the support of Ohio's Rep. Greg Landsman, this bill aims to increase veterans' access to non-opioid pain management by requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to cover FDA-approved alternatives, aiming to prevent addiction before it starts.