New CA Law Requires Health Plans to Cover Colorectal Cancer Clinical Trials

Governor Gray Davis has signed into law a bill requiring health care plans to cover the costs of California patients who participant in clinical trials for colorectal cancer and other types of cancer.

The law, strongest of its kind in the United States, requires insurers to cover routine costs associated with all four phases of clinical trials. Anyone referred to a trial by a doctor is eligible.

"This is a historic agreement that puts us at the cutting edge of cancer treatment," Davis said. "For many patients, these trials represent the last best hope in treatment."

"Right now, only 3 percent of adults with cancer are in trials," said State Sen. Jackie Speier."These are programs that save lives, extend lives and may finally give us the cure."

A clinical trial is a study conducted with cancer patients to evaluate a new treatment or combination of treatments. Under the law, all four phases of clinical trials are covered.

Davis vetoed a similar bill last year which dealt only with prostate cancer, leading backers to expand the idea to all forms of cancer.

Other sources: San Francisco Chronicle