[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 16 (Tuesday, February 6, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S1078]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. SNOWE:
  S. 257. A bill to permit individuals to continue health plan coverage 
of services while participating in approved clinical studies; to the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Improved 
Patient Access to Clinical Studies Act. This bill builds on progress 
made in the last several years in the difficult and challenging fight 
against life-threatening diseases.
  This bill will prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage for 
services provided to individuals participating in clinical trials, if 
those services would otherwise be covered by the plan. This bill would 
also prevent health plans from discriminating against enrollees who 
choose to participate in clinical trials.
  This bill has a two-fold purpose. First, it will ensure that many 
patients who could benefit from these potentially life-saving 
experimental treatments, but currently do not have access to them 
because their insurance will not cover the associated costs. Second, 
without reimbursement for these services, our researchers' ability to 
conduct important research is impeded as it reduces the number of 
patients who seek to participate in clinical trials.
  According to a report published by the General Accounting Office in 
September 1999, ``given the uncertainty about [health insurance] 
approval and payment levels, patients and physicians can be discouraged 
from seeking prior approval from insurers'' and therefore, will not 
attempt to enroll in what could possibly be the patients' last hope. 
When faced with a life-threatening disease, such as cancer, it is 
absolutely paramount that individuals be given every opportunity, every 
possibly imaginable, to fight their illness. What patients should not 
be faced with is the certainty of a health insurance fight.
  I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this bill which will 
help those suffering from life-threatening diseases and their families.
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