The legislation will address barriers to patient care by improving research, provider education and training, and general pubic awareness about the treatment and management of acute and chronic pain. Chronic pain affects approximately 25 percent of the U.S. population. It is also a leading contributor to healthcare costs.

“We are pleased to see the introduction of this important legislation that focuses on critical issues faced by a large population of patients who confront many challenges in dealing with chronic pain,” said Richard E. Kuntz, M.D., president of the Neuromodulation business and senior vice president at Medtronic. “We look forward to ongoing collaboration with pain care physicians and the patient community to support passage of the legislation in this Congress.”

Medtronic is a US-based company headquarted in Minneapolis.