Clinical Trials Coverage Law Maryland's Governor signed into law April 28 a measure that may be one of the most extensive state laws of its type, according to the BNA's Health Care Policy Report . The law would provide coverage for cancer patients and other patients with life-threatening diseases who participate in approved clinical trials. Insurance carriers would be required to cover a patient's cost of treatment in certain trials.
Coverage is broader for cancer patients than for other patients.
The new coverage requirements would not apply to policies or plans paid by Medicare or Medicaid. The law resulted from a compromise among legislators, insurance carriers, and the state's major medical research centers. A work group will be convened to study the costs and benefits of insurance coverage for clinical trials and is directed to produce a report by July 1, 2000. Maryland's new coverage policy affects policies, contracts or plans issued or renewed after January 1, 1999.