Political Quotes

“I am pleased to support S. 139, the Ensuring Access to Clinical Trials Act of 2015. This bill will ensure current Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid recipients can maintain those benefits while participating in clinical trials. Keeping their benefits will help them, but as a doctor I know that their participation in such trials stands to benefit countless others as well who suffer from rare conditions, both in the U.S. and abroad. We should ensure that public policy encourages that whenever we can, and that's what this bill does. Under current law, the Social Security Administration excludes up to $2,000 annually in compensation received by individuals participating in rare disease clinical trials when determining their SSI and Medicaid eligibility and benefits. But this provision, put in place by bipartisan legislation in 2010, is set to expire on October 5, 2015. After that date, all payments for participating in such clinical trials would be counted as income for SSI and Medicaid recipients, reducing or even ending their eligibility for those benefits. A number of people with rare diseases like Cystic Fibrosis receive SSI benefits. If this policy is not made permanent, an individual participating in a clinical trial for a new treatment for Cystic Fibrosis could see a reduction or even the complete elimination of those important benefits. The reality is, most simply won't take that risk, and will avoid participating in such trials.…”