Clinical trials help scientists and doctors deliver new scientific discoveries to patients and determine which treatments are safe and effective. Most important, clinical trials offer a vital lifeline for people with life-threatening illnesses like cancer.
An amendment to the Senate health care bill offered by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX) could ensure cancer patients have access to clinical trials. Each year, clinical trials give thousands of patients access to the highest-quality cancer care before they are widely available and millions more benefit from the findings.
Sadly, some cancer patients are denied access to clinical trials because their insurance won't cover the costs. The bi-partisan Brown-Hutchinson amendment is vital to cancer patients because it will require health insurers to cover clinical trials.
Tell your senators that clinical trials have overwhelming support from cancer advocates and must be included in the final Senate health bill.
Dear [Decision Maker],
As your constituent, and as an advocate for cancer patients, I urge you to support the bipartisan amendment to the health care reform bill proposed by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), which would require group health plans and health insurance providers to cover routine patient care costs for individuals enrolled in clinical trials.
[Your comment will be inserted here]
Clinical trials help scientists and doctors deliver new scientific discoveries to patients and determine which treatments are safe and effective. In addition, clinical trials offer a lifeline for people with life-threatening illnesses like cancer.
Each year, thousands of people gain access to the highest-quality cancer care and receive new treatments before they are widely available by participating in a clinical trial. And millions more benefit from the findings.
Sadly, more than 1.4 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer each year, yet fewer than 5 percent will participate in an approved clinical trial. The Brown-Hutchison clinical trials amendment will remove a barrier to patient participation and provide access to many more people.
Today, about half of states require insurance companies to cover routine care provided as part of a clinical trial, and the federal government and other state governments should follow suit.
Please do your part to remove this unfair barrier that too many people face when they try to gain access to high quality cancer care. I urge you to support the bipartisan Brown-Hutchison clinical trials amendment.
