In English | En español
Questions About Cancer? 1-800-4-CANCER

States That Require Health Plans to Cover Patient Care Costs in Clinical Trials

  • Updated: 12/22/2010

Page Options

  • Print This Page
  • Email This Document

A growing number of states have passed legislation or instituted special agreements requiring health plans to pay the cost of routine medical care you receive as a participant in a clinical trial.

Links on this page

 Map (click on a blue-highlighted state/location [or links below] to see the law or agreement and its key provisions)

DelawareTennesseeWisconsinWest VirginiaNew JerseyVermontNew HampshireMaineMissouriMarylandLouisianaGeorgiaNorth CarolinaVirginiaOhioIndianaIllinoisMichiganRhode IslandMichiganNevadaWashington, DCWyomingConnecticutCaliforniaNew MexicoArizonaMassachusettsColoradoNebraskaOregonTexasFloridaIowaSouth CarolinaKentuckyAlaska

 
Information by State
 
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
 
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
 
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
 
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
Washington, D.C.
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
 
 

 Overview of the issue

"Routine patient care costs" are the usual costs of medical care, such as doctor visits, hospital stays, clinical laboratory tests, x-rays, etc., that you would receive whether or not you were participating in a clinical trial. Some health plans don't cover these costs once you join a trial, even though studies have shown that they are not appreciably higher than costs for patients who are not enrolled in trials. 

Lack of such coverage is a significant barrier to many patients who might otherwise enroll in a trial. Lack of coverage also makes it harder for researchers to successfully conduct trials that could improve prevention and treatment options.

These laws and agreements do not cover the research costs associated with the conduct of the trial, such as tests purely performed for research purposes. In most cases, such costs would be paid for by the group sponsoring the trial, such as the National Cancer Institute or a pharmaceutical company.

For more of an overview, see Clinical Trials and Insurance Coverage.

 Other Resources

Back to TopBack to Top