Who pays for the costs of clinical research?
As with your normal clinical care, health care costs are paid for by you or your insurance company. However, research costs are usually paid for when there is special testing, treatments or extra doctor visits that are required for research only. Clinical research is paid for in several ways. Through taxpayers’ money, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) provide researchers with research funds to improve the health of Americans. An NIH-sponsored clinical trial paid for by all of us. Several other governmental agencies fund research in a similar way. Another common way to pay for clinical research is by a pharmaceutical company, medical device and equipment manufacturer, health-care institution or private organization. Information about specific trial sponsorship is available to those considering participation. Some clinical research studies provide small financial payments to cover the costs of travel for participants.
