This page has information specific to this state, including contact information for federal and state agencies, and some key information about laws and consumer protections. Sometimes, state laws are more protective than federal law. For more information on this state's specific laws (e.g., on employment or health insurance), visit Triage Cancer's Charts of State Laws.
For information on financial assistance resources, you can visit the Financial Assistance Resources module at CancerFinances.org. You can then pick from the different categories of financial assistance, to find organizations that may provide financial help to you. Think creatively. For example, if you cannot find anything to help with your medical bills, you may qualify for utility assistance and shift the money you had dedicated to utilities to your medical bills.
Florida Clinical Trial Compact
This is not a law, but it is an agreement between private insurance providers and only applies to providers who have signed onto the compact and voluntarily agreed to cover routine costs of patient care for those in clinical trials. As of 2010, these providers include Humana, Blue Cross Blue Shield Florida, AvMed Health Plans, Vista Healthplan, Aetna, CIGNA, and UnitedHealth Group Florida.
Phase II, Phase III, or Phase IV clinical trials are covered for cancer if the in-network physician recommends participation in the cancer clinical trial.
To be covered, the clinical trial must either involve a drug that is exempt under federal regulations from a new drug application or must be a trial that is approved by (1) A cooperative group or one of the National Institutes of Health; (2) U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in the form of an investigational new drug application; (3) U.S. Department of Defense; (4) U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; (5) National Cancer Institute; or (6) An accredited institutional review board of any accredited school of medicine, nursing, or pharmacy or licensed children’s specialty hospital in Florida.
The Clinical Trial Compact covers “Routine patient care costs,” which means the costs of health care services, including drugs, items, devices, and services that would be covered under the patient’s health plan if they were provided outside of a cancer clinical trial.
(Last updated 8/2022)