Oklahoma
State Senate
Communications Division
State Capitol
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
405-521-5774
For Immediate Release: January 23, 2008
Sen. Rice, along with brain cancer patient Steffanie Collings
and her family explained Steffanie’s Law Wednesday at the
State Capitol. Also joining him was Sen. John Sparks and OU Medical
professionals Dr. George Selby, Tracie Anderson, Nancy Thomason
and Dr. Scott McMeekin.
Steffanie's father, Monty Collings talks to reporters about their
struggles with Steffanie's illness
and the financial burden caused by the high costs of her treatment
and lack of insurance
coverage for those treatments.
Rice Will Introduce “Steffanie’s
Law”; Bill to Cover Oklahoma
Families Participating in Clinical Trials
State Senator Andrew
Rice (D-OKC) today introduced “Steffanie’s Law,”
a bill to require health insurance providers in the State of Oklahoma
to cover routine care costs for patients participating in a clinical
trial.
Rice said “Steffanie’s Law,” or Senate Bill
1521, would relieve Oklahoma families of the risk of losing their
health insurance coverage by participating in clinical trials,
which are in some cases the best available treatment for their
illness. Currently, most insurance companies deny coverage of
routine health care costs once a patient joins a clinical trial.
“Families in Oklahoma should not have to decide
between potential life-saving treatments and personal financial
ruin,” Rice said. “There is little evidence that routine
health care costs for clinical trial patients are any higher than
costs for patients who are not enrolled in trials.”
A growing number of states have passed legislation or instituted
special agreements requiring health plans to pay the cost of routine
medical care that patients receive as a participant in a clinical
trial. Routine patient care costs are the usual costs of medical
care, such as doctor visits, hospital stays, clinical laboratory
tests, x-rays, etc., that you would receive whether or not you
were participating in a clinical trial.
“Oklahoma is blessed with state-of-the-art health care facilities
where new clinical trials, most often paid for by sponsoring groups
such as the National Cancer Institute or a pharmaceutical company,
are creating hope for patients with life-threatening diseases,”
Rice said. “It’s not right that the only obstacle
to possible life-saving treatment is an insurance company which
has ruled that participating in clinical trials disqualifies you
from their health care coverage.”
Research has shown that lack of such coverage is a significant
barrier to many patients who might otherwise enroll in a trial.
Lack of coverage also makes it harder for researchers to successfully
conduct trials that could improve prevention and treatment options,
Rice said.
One area teenager whose parents decided to pursue clinical trials
at any cost is Steffanie Collings, 18, from Noble. She was diagnosed
with brain cancer at the age of 14. Her insurance carrier has
refused coverage since she underwent clinical trials to treat
her brain tumor.
Monty Collings, Steffanie’s father, said her routine patient
care costs have exceeded $500,000. He said her insurance carrier
has denied more than $400,000 in claims. He said his family is
facing mounting medical bills and possible bankruptcy due the
insurance company’s refusal to cover Steffanie’s medical
care.
“Senator Rice’s proposal will help us and others,”
Collings said. “I have watched my daughter over the past
four and one half years struggle with her cancer and even though
I am facing financial peril, I would make the same decision again
when doctors tell me that clinical trials could be her only chance
for a normal life.”
Nancy Thomason, Founder and President of Oklahoma Brain Tumor
Foundation, said the decision of pursuing clinical trial treatment
should be made by the physician, the patient and family members,
not insurance companies. She said even if you have health insurance,
your coverage may not include some or all of the patient care
costs associated with a clinical trial because some health plans
define clinical trials as "experimental" or "investigational"
procedures.
“Oklahomans deserve the right to the latest cutting edge
research which can improve our quality of life and help extend
our life or the life of our loved one,” Thomason said.
Rice said “Steffanie’s Law” will
increase health care options. While no federal laws have yet been
passed, 14 states have laws mandating insurance providers cover
certain clinical trial costs.
For more information contact:
Senator Rice's Office - (405) 521-5610
