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A Proposal For Federal Legislation To Address Health Insurance Coverage For Experimental And Investigational Treatments, Sharona Hoffman
A Proposal For Federal Legislation To Address Health Insurance Coverage For Experimental And Investigational Treatments, Sharona Hoffman
Faculty Publications
Health insurance coverage for experimental treatments has generated significant debate and frequent litigation in recent years. In many cases, denials of coverage for investigational therapies constitute economically and ethically sound policy. This article argues, however, that health insurance providers should be required to cover experimental treatments in limited circumstances, namely, when they are administered in phase III clinical trials to patients with terminal illnesses who are likely to die within two years. This coverage mandate would help the sickest patients, who have no other treatment options, and would benefit medical researchers, who often face a dearth of patients willing to …