CT SB00021

Expands health insurance coverage for routine patient care costs in clinical trials to include disabling or life-threatening chronic diseases, not just cancer trials, effective January 1, 2012.

Requires individual and group health insurance policies to cover routine patient care costs for eligible clinical trials approved by the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, FDA, Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs, or qualified for Medicare coverage.

Defines routine patient care costs to include medically necessary health services and FDA-approved drugs used during clinical trial treatment that would otherwise be covered under standard care.

Mandates insurers respond to clinical trial coverage requests within 5 business days (or 10 days if using independent experts) and prohibits providers from billing patients for covered routine patient care services beyond standard deductibles and copayments.

Extends coverage for off-label drug use to disabling or life-threatening chronic diseases (not just cancer) when drugs are recognized in established pharmaceutical reference compendia, provided drugs are not FDA-contraindicated.