If someone agrees to participate in a cancer treatment trial, will the cost be any more than the standard treatment? Will the persons health plan cover the costs?
Two kinds of costs are associated with clinical trials, patient care costs and research costs. The trial’s sponsor usually covers research costs. Patient care costs may be covered by a participant’s health plan. They include doctor visits, hospital stays, laboratory tests and x-rays, all of which are part of participating in a trial or receiving standard treatment. Clinical trial participation sometimes involves the requirement of additional tests that might not be covered by either patient care costs or research costs. Although some health plans cover clinical trials, others will not reimburse costs for “experimental therapies.” However, decisions often are made on a case-by-case basis, and costs for some treatments are reimbursed. Some clinical trial sponsors make a special effort to work with health plans to reimburse costs. In considering options, interested persons should ask trial personnel what the experience to date has been in the trial they are considering. They should ask sp
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