Maybe but probably not in most cases. Whether Aunt Sally s health care would be compromised as a result is unknown.
Treatments being tested in clinical trials are by definition experimental.
But experts say that the nation s health is compromised if 160 million patients enrolled in managed care programs are not available to participate in clinical trials that may lead to approval of new treatments. His company s findings underscore the low level of interest in research among MCOs. Of 475 MCOs questioned, only 11.6 percent reported any level of research interest and that often related to patient satisfaction surveys. There are 25 to 30 health plans that have substantial research centers, Lardy said. Lardy named Kaiser Permanente, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, and Prudential as having their own research centers.