Medicare clinical trial coverage
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
National coverage decision addressing routine care costs in clinical trials could be issued by the Health Care Financing Administration as early as the week of July 24. Included will be definitions of what the agency considers "routine" care costs and which clinical trials qualify for such coverage, staffers note. Following a comment period, HCFA intends to make the decision effective by Sept. 15. Implementation would fulfill one part of a June 7 Presidential executive memo which also directs HCFA to explore the possibility of expanding Medicare coverage to certain experimental procedures (1"The Gray Sheet" June 12, p. 5)