THE WHITE HOUSE AT WORK
Wednesday, June 7,
2000
PRESIDENT CLINTON AND VICE PRESIDENT GORE:
TAKING NEW ACTION
TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION IN CLINICAL TRIALS
"As America ages, we must provide all our seniors affordable,
quality health care, and we should be using our cutting-edge science to meet
that challenge. Simply put, the more seniors we enroll in trials, the faster
we'll be able to use these advances to save American lives."
President Bill Clinton
Wednesday, June 7, 2000
Today, at the White House, President Clinton issued an Executive
Memorandum directing Medicare to begin reimbursing providers for the cost of
routine patient care associated with participation in clinical trials, and to
promote participation by Medicare beneficiaries in clinical trials for all
diseases. Today's action, strongly supported by the Vice President, builds on
legislation sponsored by Senators Rockefeller and Mack, and Representatives
Johnson, Cardin, and Bentsen, whom the President acknowledged for their
leadership. The President urged Congress to extend coverage for the cost of
participating in clinical trials to seniors in private plans as well by passing
a strong, enforceable Patients' Bill of Rights.
More Participation by Seniors In Clinical Trials is Needed. A
recent report by the Institute of Medicine recommended policy changes to
encourage greater use of clinical trials by older Americans. Today, President
Clinton highlighted that:
- Too few seniors participate in clinical trials – only about
one percent – despite the fact that the elderly bear the majority of the
disease burden nationally;
- The uncertainty of Medicare reimbursement often discourages
seniors from participating in clinical trials; and
- Scientists believe that increased participation in clinical
trials could lead to faster development of therapies.
Taking Executive Action to Encourage Participation. President
Clinton issued an Executive Memorandum that directs the Department of Health
and Human Services to:
- Revise Medicare to immediately begin reimbursing routine patient
care costs associated with clinical trials;
- Increase awareness among Medicare beneficiaries of the new
coverage;
- Establish a tracking system for Medicare payments to clinical
trials;
- Ensure that the information gained from clinical trials is used
in coverage decisions; and
- Review within 90 days additional actions that can be taken to
promote research on issues important to seniors.
Urging Congress to Extend Coverage to All Private Plans. The
President commended Vice President Gore, Senators Rockefeller and Mack, and
Representatives Johnson, Cardin and Bentsen for advocating Medicare coverage
for cancer clinical trials, and called on Congress to extend similar coverage
to seniors in private plans by passing a strong, enforceable Patients' Bill of
Rights. The President pointed out that the Norwood-Dingell legislation, which
has been stalled in Congress for six months, contains a provision requiring
private insurers to cover the cost of participation in clinical trials.
Building on a Longstanding Commitment to Biomedical Research.
Today's action builds on the record of President Clinton and Vice President
Gore in promoting biomedical research and removing barriers to participation in
clinical trials, including:
- Increasing funding for the National Institutes of Health by 73
percent since the start of the Administration. As a result, NIH now supports
the highest levels of research ever on nearly all types of diseases;
- Directing HHS to strengthen federal oversight and increase the
accountability of researchers conducting clinical trials in order to protect
the safety of individuals participating in trials; and
- Issuing an Executive Order prohibiting every civilian federal
department and agency from using genetic information in any hiring or promotion
action.
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