On June 7, President Clinton issued an executive order mandating that Medicare reimburse health care providers for the cost of routine patient care incurred through participation in clinical trials. Current Medicare reimbursement policies and practices discourage seniors from participating in clinical trials because investigators cannot guarantee that Medicare will pay for the care associated with clinical trials. Consequently, our nation's elderly are not included as participants in the very research that could promote their health and manage disease. With increasing numbers of Alzheimer's disease patients and a substantial rise in the prevalence of other medical disorders associated with late life, the executive order will ensure that better research is being conducted for the benefit of the nation's elderly.
Demographics suggest an increase in incidences of mental health disease as the population ages.
It is critical that research efforts be supported now in order to ensure a healthier America tomorrow. According to recent studies, of the 40 million Americans over age 65, more than six million are likely to experience clinical depression. Of those six million, only one million will be properly diagnosed and treated. By providing incentives for seniors to participate in clinical trials, improved evidence-based medical practices will be available for the elderly suffering from depression. Similarly, it is estimated that as many as four million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease or a related form of dementia.