TMNews: #56: Oct 8, 2018: Win for ATs & PTs, Pain Specialists Speak Out About Tapering, TRICARE timeline released & Dr. Heidi Jannenga talks ASCEND

Headlines: The Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act is on the President's desk for signature. The SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (or, the major opioid legislation everyone is talking about) is also awaiting the President's signature. The legislation does the following: Improves and expands access to treatment and recovery services Encourages the use of non-addictive opioid alternatives Gives law enforcement tools to better remove illicit drugs from communities Provides grants to communities to combat Fentanyl (Click here for the one page overview) Pain specialists are speaking out about forced tapering, noting that current language put out by the CDC could result in patients experiencing severe and prolonged withdrawal, as well as debilitating functional limitations. Dr. Beth Darnall, Stanford pain specialist, submitted a petition signed by those who treat patients with chronic pain. You can find her on the Healthy Wealthy & Smart podcast on episode 379 (Roadmap to Pain Relief) and episode 221 (The Opioid Epidemic). Health Professionals for Patients in Pain has a similar letter. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid is due to release the 2019 rule soon; in the meantime, check out the comments provided to CMS by the APTA.  A timeline for TRICARE changes has been released; the timeline is dependent on when the rule is released to the US Office of Management and Budget for review. Featuring Dr. Heidi Jannenga, President and Co-Founder of WebPT, talking about the ASCEND conference.