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The NOPAIN for Veterans Act would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to add new non-opioid pain medications to its national formulary within one year of those drugs becoming eligible for special payment under Medicare or other federal programs. The legislation defines non-opioid pain medications as FDA-approved drugs that reduce pain after surgery or procedures without affecting the body's opioid receptors. The changes would apply to all veterans eligible for VA healthcare and are intended to expand access to pain management alternatives that don't rely on opioids. The VA must implement these amendments within 90 days of the bill's enactment, though the bill specifies that the Cost of War Toxic Exposures Fund cannot be used to pay for these new medications. The bill does not specify additional funding for this requirement, meaning the cost would come from the VA's existing budget.

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