HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 137

(By Delegates Ellington, Householder, Arvon, Cooper, Hill, Kurcaba, Pasdon, Rohrbach, Sobonya, Stansbury, Waxman, Westfall, Fleischauer, Campbell, Longstreth, Moore, Pushkin and Rodighiero)

[Originating in the Committee on Health and Human Resources; Reported March 10, 2015]

Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to study access and costs associated with cancer clinical trials.

            WHEREAS, Only a small percentage of patients with cancer participate in clinical trials, which is due to many issues including a lack of available clinical trials, as well as a lack of awareness that clinical trials are a treatment option, or even what a clinical trial is; and

            WHEREAS, Typically, when a patient enrolls in a clinical trial, the cost of tests, procedures, drugs and any research activity directly associated with the investigation, are covered by the group sponsoring the trial, such as a pharmaceutical company or the National Cancer Institute. However, because some health plans define clinical trials as "experimental" or "investigational," health insurance coverage may or may not include some or all of the costs of "routine patient care," such as the doctor visits, hospital stays, tests and x-rays, that a patient would normally receive whether or not they were enrolled in a trial; and

            WHEREAS, For cancer patients to access, properly designed and conducted clinical trials represents an important therapeutic option, as well as a critical means of advancing medical knowledge; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

            That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby requested to study and review access and costs associated with cancer clinical trials; and, be it
            Further Resolved, That Joint Committee on Government and Finance report to the regular session of the Legislature, 2016, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it
            Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.