P.A.R.T. USA
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn more about P.A.R.T. USA, our advocacy work, membership, state chapters, donations, privacy, the Member Community, and how you can become involved.
Don’t see your question here? Contact us and ask. This page will continue to grow as new questions come in.
Who We Are & Why We Exist
What is P.A.R.T. USA?
P.A.R.T. USA — Pain Awareness • Right to Treatment — is a national advocacy organization focused on protecting the rights of chronic pain patients and supporting individualized, patient-centered medical care.
Our work includes public education, legislative advocacy, policy reform, patient advocacy, state chapter development, research, outreach, and efforts to address barriers affecting legitimate pain treatment.
What does “P.A.R.T.” stand for?
P.A.R.T. stands for Pain Awareness • Right to Treatment.
Our name reflects the belief that people living with pain deserve to be heard and that medical care should be based on the needs and circumstances of the individual patient.
Is P.A.R.T. USA only about opioid medication?
No.
P.A.R.T. USA supports individualized medical care. Different patients may need different treatments, including medications, procedures, therapies, non-opioid medications, opioid medications, rehabilitation, surgery, or other forms of care.
Our position is not that every patient should receive any particular medication. Our position is that legitimate medical decisions should be made based on the needs of the individual patient and the professional judgment of qualified healthcare providers.
Does P.A.R.T. USA oppose efforts to address addiction or overdose?
No.
Addiction, substance-use disorders, illicit drug trafficking, and overdose are serious public-health concerns.
P.A.R.T. USA believes those issues can and should be addressed without denying appropriate medical care to legitimate patients or treating patients and healthcare professionals as though legitimate medical treatment is itself criminal activity.
Why P.A.R.T. USA Is a 501(c)(4)
Why is P.A.R.T. USA a 501(c)(4) instead of a 501(c)(3)?
This is one of the questions we are asked most often.
P.A.R.T. USA was organized as a 501(c)(4) social-welfare organization because advocacy, public policy, and legislative reform are central to our mission.
A 501(c)(3) charitable organization generally faces greater restrictions on lobbying and political activity. Because P.A.R.T. USA was created specifically to advocate for changes in laws, regulations, policies, and government practices affecting pain patients and healthcare professionals, the 501(c)(4) structure gives the organization more flexibility to engage directly in that work.
We chose the organizational structure that allows us to advocate more directly and more consistently for policy change.
The tradeoff is that contributions to a 501(c)(4) are generally not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income-tax purposes.
For many individual supporters, that distinction may have little practical effect. However, anyone making a significant contribution or needing tax advice about a donation should consult a qualified tax professional.
Does being a 501(c)(4) mean P.A.R.T. USA is a political party?
No.
P.A.R.T. USA is not a political party. Our advocacy focuses on pain-patient rights, medical access, healthcare policy, legislation, regulation, and related public-policy issues.
P.A.R.T. USA may work with elected officials, government agencies, policymakers, organizations, and individuals from different political backgrounds when doing so advances the organization’s mission.
Are donations to P.A.R.T. USA tax deductible?
Contributions to P.A.R.T. USA are generally not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income-tax purposes because P.A.R.T. USA is a 501(c)(4) social-welfare organization.
Tax circumstances can vary, so donors with questions about a particular contribution should consult a qualified tax professional.
Joining P.A.R.T. USA
How much does it cost to join P.A.R.T. USA?
Membership in P.A.R.T. USA is free.
We want patients, caregivers, advocates, professionals, supporters, and others who believe in our mission to be able to participate regardless of their financial circumstances.
Who can become a member?
P.A.R.T. USA membership is open to people who support the organization’s mission and agree to the membership terms and expectations.
Members may include chronic pain patients, caregivers, advocates, family members, healthcare professionals, researchers, volunteers, supporters, and others interested in protecting access to individualized care.
Do I have to be a chronic pain patient to join?
No.
P.A.R.T. USA welcomes supporters who believe in patient-centered care and the organization’s mission.
You do not have to be a patient yourself to become involved.
What is the P.A.R.T. USA Member Community?
The P.A.R.T. USA Member Community is a private online community and resource area available to members.
Members can participate in the national community, connect with other members, use community chat, access the member directory, follow advocacy activity, and access additional resources as the community continues to grow.
Is the Member Community public?
No.
The Member Community is intended for P.A.R.T. USA members. Certain community areas require an active membership and login before they can be accessed.
How P.A.R.T. USA Helps
Can P.A.R.T. USA help an individual patient?
In some circumstances, yes.
P.A.R.T. USA may provide advocacy assistance, help patients identify resources, organize information, understand available advocacy channels, communicate concerns, or determine what governmental, regulatory, administrative, or organizational avenues may be available.
Assistance depends on the circumstances, available resources, the nature of the issue, and whether the matter falls within P.A.R.T. USA’s mission.
P.A.R.T. USA cannot guarantee that it will be able to accept or resolve every individual request.
Does P.A.R.T. USA provide medical advice?
No.
P.A.R.T. USA is an advocacy organization. We do not diagnose medical conditions, prescribe medication, direct medical treatment, or tell patients to start, stop, increase, decrease, or change medications.
Medical decisions should be made between patients and qualified healthcare professionals.
Does P.A.R.T. USA provide legal representation?
No.
P.A.R.T. USA may discuss laws, regulations, legislation, policies, administrative processes, and patient rights for advocacy and educational purposes, but the organization does not create an attorney-client relationship or provide individualized legal representation.
Individuals needing legal advice about a specific situation should consult a licensed attorney.
Can P.A.R.T. USA force a doctor, pharmacy, insurance company, or government agency to act?
No.
P.A.R.T. USA can advocate, communicate concerns, provide information, request review, raise public-policy issues, assist with documentation, and pursue appropriate advocacy channels.
However, we cannot guarantee how an independent doctor, pharmacy, insurer, court, agency, hospital, medical board, elected official, or other third party will respond.
How We Work for Change
What kinds of issues does P.A.R.T. USA advocate on?
Issues may include:
- Patient access to individualized pain treatment
- Legislative and regulatory policy
- Prescribing restrictions and unintended policy consequences
- Pharmacy access and medication availability
- Insurance barriers and prior authorization
- Medical board and regulatory issues
- Veterans’ access to appropriate care
- Federal and state healthcare policy
- Patient privacy and dignity
- Provider protections and clinical judgment
- Research and data concerning pain care
- Public awareness and education
Does P.A.R.T. USA work with lawmakers?
Yes.
Legislative advocacy is an important part of the mission. P.A.R.T. USA may communicate with members of Congress, state legislators, legislative staff, government agencies, regulatory bodies, medical boards, and other policymakers.
The organization may provide research, policy recommendations, testimony, proposed legislative language, constituent concerns, or other advocacy materials.
Does P.A.R.T. USA support doctors, pharmacists, nurses, and other healthcare professionals as well as patients?
Yes.
Patients do not receive care in isolation. Doctors, pharmacists, nurses, and other healthcare professionals are all part of the system that determines whether patients are able to receive appropriate, individualized treatment.
In order for care to improve, we have to understand what helps healthcare professionals provide appropriate care, what interferes with that care, and what laws, regulations, policies, corporate practices, insurance requirements, pharmacy restrictions, or other barriers may need to be changed, corrected, or stopped.
P.A.R.T. USA supports reasonable protections for healthcare professionals who provide legitimate individualized care in good faith and within appropriate standards of professional practice.
Better policy should protect both patients and the healthcare professionals who are trying to care for them.
Building Advocacy Across America
Does P.A.R.T. USA have state chapters?
Yes.
P.A.R.T. USA is developing a national network of state-level advocacy chapters and communities.
Some states already have active or developing P.A.R.T. activity, while additional chapters will be added as qualified leadership and volunteers become available.
Can I help start a P.A.R.T. chapter in my state?
Possibly.
P.A.R.T. USA welcomes interest from people who want to help build legitimate, organized, responsible advocacy in their state.
State chapter development may involve leadership review, organizational requirements, background screening, training, agreements, and coordination with P.A.R.T. USA.
How You Can Help
What kinds of volunteers does P.A.R.T. USA need?
Advocacy requires many different skills.
Volunteer opportunities may include research, legislative tracking, writing, healthcare knowledge, public policy, technology, website work, graphic design, video production, social media, public speaking, patient outreach, administrative support, fundraising, state advocacy, and chapter development.
Even people with limited time may be able to help by sharing information, responding to action alerts, contacting lawmakers, or reporting developments in their state.
Does volunteering make me an official representative of P.A.R.T. USA?
No.
Volunteering, membership, participation, or support does not automatically authorize someone to speak for P.A.R.T. USA, bind the organization, make financial commitments, or represent themselves as an officer, board member, or authorized organizational representative.
Official authority must be specifically granted by P.A.R.T. USA.
Your Information
Does P.A.R.T. USA sell member information?
No.
P.A.R.T. USA does not sell, rent, trade, or voluntarily provide membership information to outside parties for marketing purposes or for any other purpose.
Membership information is treated as private organizational information, except where disclosure may be required by law or where a member has specifically authorized certain information to be shared.
Is my name automatically shown in the Member Directory?
No.
The P.A.R.T. USA Member Directory is designed as an opt-in feature.
Members choose whether they want their profile visible to other participating members.
Are P.A.R.T. USA membership and donor lists public?
P.A.R.T. USA membership and donor lists are treated as private organizational information and are not voluntarily published or provided to outside parties, except where disclosure may be required by law.
Donations & Financial Support
Do I have to donate to become a member?
No.
P.A.R.T. USA membership is free. Donations are voluntary and are not required to participate as a member.
What are donations used for?
Financial support may help fund advocacy, research, public education, website and technology costs, communications, organizational operations, state development, outreach, travel, events, and other mission-related activities.
Can I donate to P.A.R.T. USA in any way other than through the official website?
P.A.R.T. USA only accepts donations through official organization-approved donation links published on the P.A.R.T. USA website.
No director, officer, board member, volunteer, advocate, chapter representative, or other individual is authorized to personally collect, receive, hold, or process donations on behalf of P.A.R.T. USA outside of those official channels.
If anyone claiming to represent P.A.R.T. USA asks you to send money directly to them, give them cash, transfer funds to a personal account, use a personal payment app, or send payment through any method that is not listed on an official P.A.R.T. USA website donation page, do not send the payment.
Please contact P.A.R.T. USA immediately and let us know who requested the payment, what payment method was requested, and where you were instructed to send the funds.
Reporting suspected unauthorized fundraising, diversion of funds, fraudulent donation requests, or other improper payment activity helps P.A.R.T. USA protect donors, maintain proper financial controls, investigate possible misuse of the organization’s name, and keep organizational funds secure.
Official donation links may use legitimate payment processors or financial-service providers selected by the organization. For example, an official donation page may process payments through services such as Stripe or another approved provider.
The payment processor itself may change over time, but the donation method will always be made available through an official P.A.R.T. USA website link.
P.A.R.T. USA uses this policy to reduce the risk of fraud, misappropriation, unauthorized fundraising, and confusion over who is permitted to receive organizational funds.
The same standard applies to P.A.R.T. USA chapters and affiliated organizations: donations intended for an organization or chapter must be collected through that organization’s officially designated donation process.
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
Contact P.A.R.T. USA
If your question is not answered here, reach out and let us know. Questions from members and the public also help us decide what should be added to this FAQ.
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Education creates understanding. Understanding strengthens advocacy. Advocacy creates change.