Medical Budget Spending
Medical Budget SpendingProviding Cancer Clinical Trials for Medicare Beneficiaries
Less than three percent of cancer patients participate in clinical
trials of new therapies. Many scientists believe that higher
participation could lead to the faster development of therapies for more
of those in need.
Moreover, the elderly, who are most likely to get cancer, often
cannot participate in such trials because Medicare does not pay for such
treatments until they are established as standard therapies. Americans
over 65 make up half of all cancer patients, and are 10 times more
likely to get cancer than younger Americans.
The budget would give more Americans access to these cutting-edge
treatments and encourage higher participation in clinical trials by
establishing a three-year, $750 million demonstration program,
specifically for Medicare beneficiaries, to cover the patient care costs
for those who participate in certain federally-sponsored cancer clinical
trials. Although the Health Care Financing Administration (which
administers Medicare) would run the demonstration, it would be funded by
specified receipts from national tobacco legislation and, thus, would
not draw upon Medicare's Hospital Insurance (HI) or Supplementary
Medical Insurance (SMI) trust funds. The proposal includes an evaluation
after three years to consider whether to expand the demonstration.
Aid for the territories: The budget proposes $153 million in
increased funding under CHIP for Puerto Rico and the other
four territories, fulfilling the President's promise to
provide more equitable funding for children's health care in
the insular areas.
Health insurance for legal immigrant children: The budget
would give States the option to provide health coverage to
legal immigrant children under Medicaid and CHIP. Currently,
States can provide health coverage to legal immigrant children...
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