[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 469 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 469
Expressing support for the designation of June 2021 as ``Migraine and
Headache Awareness Month''.
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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 11, 2021
Ms. Dean submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
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RESOLUTION
Expressing support for the designation of June 2021 as ``Migraine and
Headache Awareness Month''.
Whereas approximately 60,000,000 Americans live with migraine disease, more than
have asthma or diabetes combined, and 6,000,000 Americans experience
chronic migraine, a highly disabling neurological disorder and the
second-leading cause of global disability;
Whereas a migraine attack can cause severe throbbing pain or a pulsing
sensation, usually on one side of the head, which is often accompanied
by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light, sound, and
smells;
Whereas migraine attacks can last for hours to days, with pain so severe that it
interferes with daily activities and quality of life;
Whereas the pain of cluster headache attacks is one of the most excruciating
human experiences;
Whereas persons living with migraine disease and headache disorders also
experience significant stigma, often coming from friends, family, and
coworkers;
Whereas migraine disease and headache disorders disproportionately impact women;
Whereas migraine disease affects approximately 45,000,000 women in the United
States, and 85 percent of those with chronic migraine are women;
Whereas more than 567,000 veterans, 30 percent of whom are women, are diagnosed
with migraine and receive their headache care within a Veterans Health
Administration medical center;
Whereas migraine disease and headache disorders are not only physical conditions
that require living with chronic pain, but there is also the constant
worry that these attacks can strike at any moment, taking an emotional
toll and increasing the likelihood of anxiety and depression;
Whereas differences in diagnosis and treatment of headache and migraine
disorders in Black, indigenous, and people of color communities may
indicate racial and ethnic disparities in access and quality of care for
these patients;
Whereas the physical pain of women is routinely dismissed by medical
professionals and society as a whole, contributing to their pain and the
cascading effects therefrom;
Whereas the physical pain of Black, indigenous, and people of color individuals
is routinely dismissed by medical professionals and society as a whole,
contributing to their pain and the cascading effects therefrom;
Whereas studies have shown that racial bias can affect how doctors assess and
treat pain, including a 2016 study that showed trainees who believed
that Black people are not as sensitive to pain as White people were less
likely to treat Black people's pain appropriately;
Whereas migraine disease is three times more common in women, reaching peak
prevalence between 30 and 39 years of age, at a time when many women are
rapidly growing in their career and balancing work, family, and social
obligations, further contributing to the wage gap;
Whereas more than 2,300,000 women have left the United States workforce since
the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, reversing decades of labor
participation rates and resulting in a regressive effect on gender
equality;
Whereas women account for a large majority of the estimated $78,000,000,000 in
migraine-associated economic costs in the United States, representing
about 80 percent of both direct medical costs and lost labor costs
including presenteeism and absenteeism;
Whereas migraine disease has significant negative consequences for individuals,
their families, and society as a whole;
Whereas the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded less than $40,000,000 in
headache disorders research in fiscal year 2019, amounting to 0.1
percent of the total NIH budget, and comparisons with NIH funding of
other diseases of similar disability and disease burden indicate that
funding of headache disorders research should instead exceed
$200,000,000 each year;
Whereas migraine disease and cluster headache are disabling diseases but largely
symptomatic, without reliable diagnostic physical signs or lab findings,
meaning that Federal regulations prohibiting claimant symptoms from
supporting SSDI/SSI eligibility as medically determinable impairments in
sequential evaluation unfairly prevent their inclusion; and
Whereas access to relief from cluster headache is often inexplicably limited by
lack of insurance and Medicare coverage of safe and effective oxygen
therapy: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) expresses support for the designation of ``Migraine and
Headache Awareness Month'' in order to highlight invisible
diseases like migraine and headache disorders which have a
disproportionate impact on women;
(2) emphasizes the need for additional Federal support for
migraine disease and headache disorders, including increased
Federal research funding, access to treatment options and
diagnostic methods including telemedicine, and economic
incentives for additional employer accommodations; and
(3) recognizes and reaffirms a commitment to public
education about migraine disease and headache disorders to
reduce stigma.
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