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There can be no doubt that medical science has done great things to improve the health and safety of our world. From vaccines to open heart surgery, our advancements in these areas have made it possible for us to live longer, healthier lives. How do the researchers come up with these new advancements? Good, old-fashioned hard work and a diligent use of scientific method.

If the initial research is successful with experiments conducted via computer models or animals, the process can move on to the "clinical trial" stage of development. Clinical trials are research studies that people participate in to test the experiments. The same system we used to conduct high school science projects is being used to search for breakthroughs in finding the cure to cancer and treatment for those with Alzheimer's Disease. Clinical trials are vital to the process of finding the scientific solutions of tomorrow for the diseases and ailments that afflict us today.

Some treatments for cancer that look promising in the early stages of experimentation do not prove to be successful once in the clinical trial stage. Obviously this process can require much time and can cost a tremendous amount of money before major breakthroughs can be achieved. So who should pay the costs for cancer clinical trials: the companies doing the research, patients themselves or the insurance companies?

We want our health insurance companies to keep our rates low but at the same time we expect normal medical procedures to be included in our health care coverage. If we required our health insurance companies to pay for all the costs incurred during the clinical trial stage of scientific method, it would drastically increase the cost of health insurance for all Ohioans. Even though their responsibility may have been unclear, most insurance companies covered treatment related to cancer clinical trials, while leaving it up to the research companies to pay for the direct costs related to the clinical trials.

We in the Legislature think that this shared responsibility is a good way to handle the costs related to clinical trials for cancer, therefore we passed Senate Bill 186. This law requires all health insurance companies include in their coverage the cost for treatment related to clinical cancer trials, while leaving it up to the research companies to pay for the direct costs related to the clinical trials.

Under the bill, if a patient is diagnosed with an ailment that is currently the subject of a clinical trial, their doctor with the consent of the patient can decide the patient is a good candidate for the trial. In doing so, instead of an insurance company paying for the existing treatment, the insurance company can pay for the hospitalization or doctor checkups related to the clinical trial treatment. Under the legislation it would still the responsibility of the medical research company to pay for the medications, analysis and other costs directly related to the clinical trials.

As a result of this legislation, cancer patients will receive quality care, covered costs and help finding cures and treatment for this often life-threatening disease.

Contact State Rep. Bill Coley's office at (614) 466-8550 or write to 77 S. High St. Columbus, OH 43215.

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