1. United States
2. Colo.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my strong concern regarding the proposed Medicare reimbursement cuts affecting peripheral nerve blocks. These procedures are a medically necessary and evidence-based component of pain management for many patients, including those with chronic migraine and other neurologic and pain conditions. Peripheral nerve blocks are not elective or experimental care. For many patients, they are a critical part of maintaining function, reducing disability, and avoiding more costly and higher risk treatments such as emergency department visits, hospitalizations, or long term opioid use. In my own experience, and in the experience of many others, nerve blocks can be the difference between being able to work, care for family, and participate in daily life versus being functionally incapacitated by pain. From both a patient care and cost perspective, these cuts are short sighted. Effective outpatient pain management helps prevent more expensive downstream care and supports better health outcomes overall. Policies that undermine access to proven treatments ultimately increase costs while worsening patient quality of life. I urge you to oppose any Medicare reimbursement changes that would restrict access to peripheral nerve blocks and to support policies that prioritize patient-centered, evidence-based care. Patients with chronic pain and migraine deserve access to the treatments that allow them to function and live with dignity. Thank you for your time and for your consideration of this issue.