RC-04 - Ethics and Economics of Pain Therapies Without Coverage

Thursday, November 13, 2025

3:45 PM - 5:15 PM CT

Location: Lone Star Salon D - E

CE: 1.5

Moderator(s)

Aaron Calodney, MD (he/him/his)

Director Clinical Research
Precision spine care
Tyler, Texas, United States

Amy Pearson, MD (she/her/hers)

Interventional Pain Physician
Advocate Aurora Health Care
Cudahy, Wisconsin, United States
Karim Ladha, MD MSc FRCPC

Anesthesia
University Health Network - Toronto Western Hospital, Ontario, Canada
KG

Kimberly Gonzalez

Group Supervisor
DEA
San Antonio, Texas, United States

Disclosure(s):

Aaron Calodney, MD: No relevant disclosure to display

Kimberly Gonzalez: No financial relationships to disclose

Describe current clinical, ethical, and regulatory challenges affecting contemporary pain medicine practice.
Identify barriers to access for interventional, pharmacological, and multidisciplinary pain therapies.
Evaluate the role of health economics and reimbursement policies in shaping pain management strategies.
Formulate advocacy strategies to address disparities and advance the field of pain medicine.

3:45 PM - 4:05 PM CT

Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) in Predicting Outcomes for Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) for Neuropathic Pain
Co-Author: Natália Moreti, MD – University Health Network - Toronto Western Hospital
Submitting Author: Angelica Faith Tiongco, MD – University Health Network - Toronto Western Hospital
Co-Author: Seung Chol Kim, MD – University Health Network - Toronto Western Hospital
Co-Author: Anuj Bhatia, MBBS MD PhD FRCPC – University Health Network- Toronto Western Hospital
4:05 PM - 4:25 PM CT

How Do We Offer Therapies That Lack Insurance Coverage and for Patients Who Cannot Afford Treatments?
Speaker: Amy Pearson, MD (she/her/hers) – Advocate Aurora Health Care
4:25 PM - 4:45 PM CT

Are IV Lidocaine and IV Ketamine Worth the Out of Pocket Dollars?
Speaker: Karim Ladha, MD MSc FRCPC – University Health Network - Toronto Western Hospital
4:45 PM - 5:05 PM CT

The Current State of Opioid Epidemic in the United States: The Responsibility of Law Enforcement & the Medical Community
Speaker: Kimberly Gonzalez – DEA