WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01) and Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03) have joined together to introduce the Headache Education, Access, Diagnosis, and Care Health Equity (HEADACHE) Act— bipartisan legislation establishing the first-ever federal initiative to address headache and migraine disorders, one of the most common yet overlooked health crises in the nation.
More than 40 million Americans live with migraine and other headache disorders—the leading cause of disability worldwide and the top cause of disability for U.S. women under 50, costing the U.S. economy an estimated $78 billion every year. Chronic conditions like cluster headache, new daily persistent headache, and post-traumatic headache are debilitating, stigmatized, and chronically underfunded in federal research and public health priorities. The HEADACHE Act changes that—coordinating federal efforts, expanding research, improving access to care, and tackling systemic inequities to finally meet the scale of the crisis.
“Headache and migraine disorders affect tens of millions of Americans but are still treated as invisible illnesses in our public health system,” said Fitzpatrick. “Throughout my time in Congress, I’ve worked to give a voice to communities whose conditions are overlooked or misunderstood. The HEADACHE Act creates the first federal initiative for headache disorders—driving research, expanding access, and dismantling inequities so patients finally receive the priority and care they deserve.”
“Headache disorders are among the most common and debilitating health conditions people face, yet they’ve been overlooked for far too long in our nation’s public health priorities,” said Trahan. “The HEADACHE Act will finally change that by launching a coordinated federal initiative to improve research, expand access to care, and tackle the inequities that prevent millions of Americans from getting the treatment they need.”
Broad Support from Medical and Patient Communities
The legislation is supported by a broad coalition of medical and patient advocacy groups including the Alliance of for Headache Disorders Advocacy, American Academy of Neurology, Alliance for Patient Access, American Migraine Foundation, American Headache Society, Coalition of Headache and Migraine Patients, Clusterbusters, Facial Pain Association, National Headache Foundation, Headache Cooperative of the Pacific, Headache Cooperative of the Northeast, Miles for Migraine, Southern Headache Society, Chronic Migraine Awareness, Spinal CSF Leak Foundation, and US Pain Foundation.
“Thank you to Congresswoman Lori Trahan and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick for leading this important bipartisan effort. Migraine and headache disorders are nonpartisan chronic health conditions that cost the U.S. economy 78 billion dollars each year and are among the most disabling conditions families face. By coordinating federal efforts and aligning resources with the true disease burden, this legislation will improve efficiency and expand access in healthcare deserts. It prioritizes research to speed accurate, lower cost diagnosis and advance new treatment options, helping to reduce disability so Americans living with these conditions can live their lives to their maximum potential,” said Julienne Verdi, Executive Director of the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy.
A copy of the legislation introduced today can be accessed HERE.
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