Re: Clinical Trials - Who Pays and what are the costs?

[Guest guest]

Additional financial pressures, forced often unexpectedly,

on Trial participants are unacceptable.

If I'm reading this dialog correctly, one PCI patient is

being billed for CT scans and other assorted tests and

another isn't, at least not yet.

The fact that patient costs aren't explicitly clarified in

an agreement document gives me the creeps, yet I can

understand why people sign on the dotted line.

I've never seen " unexpected costs " referenced as a trial

withdrawal factor, yet sadly, surely it has been.

Interesting stuff guys. Thanks for sharing.

Ann

[Guest guest]

A few years ago, clinical trial expenses were covered 100%

by the pharmaceutical companies. Then a law was passed

giving them the right to bill your private insurer for tests

that would have been done by your own doctor in the course

of normal treatment. No, I don't remember when this

happened, I just recall reading about it.

There doesn't seem to have been any force in making the

insurance companies pay and so I suspect that is why some

are receiving bills although I am not really sure. But it

seems to be another way that pharmaceutical companies can

make even more money on their drugs by shifting cost to us

and still charging exorbitant prices to scared and/or dying

people.

I found this item regarding the future of clinical trial

billing. I sure it will make the whole thing clear as mud.

http://mosessinger.com/articles/files/HealthcareReformLawClinicalTrials.pdf

C

[Guest guest]

Some states mandate that insurance must pay for associated

costs of a trial... not all, sadly, and this does affect how

many enrollees they may get. People are often shocked to

find that there are costs that are not covered.

this link will get you to a list of states and what is or

may be covered. (this is US only, sorry)

http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ClinicalTrials/StateLaw\

sRegardingInsuranceCoverage/clinical-trials-state-laws-intro

or

http://tinyurl.com/43u2ydz

be well, beth fillman

[Guest guest]

Jeff/Wayne,

Thank you for bringing this very sad and anxiety-provoking

situation to the group's attention.

Yes, Affordable Care Act will require payment for costs

associated with trials (which at present varies by State

policy and law) but this aspect of the new law has not yet

been implemented ... it will be phased in in 2014.

Source

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Features/Insuring-Your-Health/health-law-clinica\

l-trials-coverage.aspx

or

http://tinyurl.com/23rk963

In the meantime, one could argue that medically necessary

tests are based on the clinical circumstances, and not by

formula. So in some cases requiring more than the typical

number of imaging tests would be medically necessary for

safety purposes in a study testing a new drug to treat a

cancer.

All the best,

Karl