Are Clinical Trials Free?

Question: Are Clinical Trials Free?

Answer: No, clinical trials are not free. Someone does have to pay, but 99% of the time it's not the patient who is participating. A majority of clinical trials are federally or privately funded, so there is no cost to the participant.

Before you agree to participate in a clinical trial, confirm whether you will be responsible for any related costs.

Private health insurance rarely covers the cost of a clinical trial. This is especially true if the trial is considered to be experimental or investigational. A clinical trial may be covered by health insurance if previous studies and data show that the treatment being used is safe and an established form of treatment. Check with your provider for more information.

There are federal programs that help with the costs of clinical trials:

Medicare
Medicare reimburses patient care costs for its beneficiaries who participate in clinical trials designed to diagnose or treat cancer. For more information about clinical trial coverage by Medicare, visit www.medicare.gov or call 1–800–633–4227 (1–800–MEDICARE).

Tricare
Tricare is the health insurance used by the U.S. Department of Defense. Beneficiaries can be reimbursed for the medical costs associated with participation in NCI-sponsored phase II and phase III cancer prevention and treatment trials (including screening and early detection).

Veterans Affairs (VA)
The VA covers all NCI-sponsored clinical trials for veteran participants. All phases of study are covered.