As November's election nears, a recent study shows that the two issues Americans see as our biggest problems are drug addiction (70%) and health care affordability (67%). Pain management nurses are on the front lines of both of these issues. As such, it is essential that we stay abreast of trends in practice, as well as policy that influences practice. With the U.S. political system itself coming in third (52%) on the list of America's biggest problems, policy's dependence on politics can make staying informed a dreaded, if not triggering, task. In this session, ASPMN past president Marsha Stanton, PhD, RN, will create a safe space for discussion of pain care policy and the politics surrounding it. Wade Delk, ASPMN's Director of Governmental Affairs; and Michael Barnes, the managing partner of a Washington, DC-based health law and policy firm, will provide matter of fact, nonpartisan analyses of recent and proposed policy changes that could affect people with pain and the professionals who treat them. Topics will include the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Medicare expansion, drug pricing, overdose response efforts, the Food and Drug Administration's acute pain guideline, and CBD regulation. Additionally, without picking sides, the speakers will provide an overview of the presidential candidates’ positions on health care and drug policy issues and discuss potential impacts on the treatment of people with pain.