New Bill Could Help Millions of People with Migraine Disease

Did you know that more than 40 million Americans suffer from migraine and many more from over 200 other headache disorders? These headaches are not just painful-they are one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Yet they are often ignored in research and healthcare funding. That might change soon with a new bill called the HEADACHE Act.

What is the HEADACHE Act?

The HEADACHE Act, officially known as the “Headache Education, Access, Diagnosis, and Care Health Equity Act,” is the first bill focused solely on helping people with migraine and other headache disorders. Introduced by Representatives Lori Trahan and Brian Fitzpatrick on September 19, 2025, this bill aims to improve how headache disorders are researched, treated, and understood nationwide ^{1, 2.}

Why is This Important?

Migraine disease affects millions and costs the U.S. economy about $78 billion every year because of medical bills and lost work. But surprisingly, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) spends very little on headache research, only about $1.55 per person with migraine. This is much less than what is spent on other diseases like epilepsy or Parkinson’s. ⁷  In fact, funding is 46 x higher in epilepsy, 117 x in Multiple Sclerosis, 173 x in Parkinson’s, and 360 x in Alzheimer’s Disease/Alzheimer’s Disease Related Dementias (AD/ADRD).^{1, 2, 5}

Many people with migraine or other headache disorders simply do not get the care they need because of a lack of research, funding, and even stigma. The HEADACHE Act wants to fix this by creating a national plan to support research, education, and better healthcare access. ³

What Does the Bill Do?

• It establishes the National Headache Disorders Initiative (NHDI) within the Department of Health and Human Services.
• Sets up a federal Advisory Council, including experts and patient groups, to guide policies and find treatment gaps.
• Covers all types of headaches, including migraine, cluster headaches, and many others.
• Focuses on health equity by helping underserved communities and fighting stigma.
• Supports further research to develop new treatments and improve headache diagnosis.
• Improves data collection across government agencies to better understand headache disorders.
• Works on training more healthcare providers who specialize in headache medicine. ^{1, 2, 3, 4}

Who Supports the Bill?

Many important groups back the HEADACHE Act, like the American Headache Society, the National Headache Foundation, and patient advocacy organizations such as Migraine Meanderings. They believe this bill will bring needed attention and resources to a condition that affects millions but gets too little support.³

What Could This Mean for You?

If passed, this bill would make headache disorders a priority in federal health programs for the first time. It could lead to better treatments, faster diagnosis, and more support for people living with migraines and other headaches. It would also help reduce the stigma and improve education for patients, families, and doctors.^{3, 4}

In Conclusion

The HEADACHE Act offers hope for millions suffering in silence from migraines and headaches. By increasing research, improving care, and raising awareness, this law can change how the nation understands and treats headache disorders. It’s a big step toward better health and quality of life for many Americans.

NOTE: F. Auby Watson BSN used Ivory Mind AI to help structure this blog from her notes. The content and core ideas were her own, while Ivory Mind assisted with organization. 

References

1. Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy. (2025, June). AHDA one-pager Fact sheet. https://www.allianceforheadacheadvocacy.org
2. U.S. House of Representatives. (2025, September 11). Headache Education, Access, Diagnosis, and Care Health Equity Act (HEADACHE Act) Unpublished federal bill, PDF. 
3. Trahan, L., & Fitzpatrick, B. (2025, September 19). Trahan, Fitzpatrick introduce HEADACHE Act to launch first-ever federal initiative on headache disorders. https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3662
4. Ripon Advance. (2025, September 25). Fitzpatrick’s bill would create federal plan to confront headache disorders. https://riponadvance.com/stories/fitzpatricks-bill-would-create-federal-plan-to-confront-headache-disorders/
5. Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy. (2025). HEADACHE Act: Senate one-pager Fact sheet. https://www.allianceforheadacheadvocacy.org
6. U.S. Congress. (2025). H.R.5536, 119th Congress (2025-2026). Congress.gov. https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5536?s=5&r=1&q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22HR+5536%22%7D
7. S.1064 – 118th Congress (2023-2024): National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act. (2023, March 29). https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/1064/text