The House of Representatives has passed the Ensuring Access to Clinical Trials Act of 2015 (EACT). This bill already passed the Senate in July, and will now go to President Obama to be signed into law.
This bill allows individuals to receive up to $2,000 as compensation for participating in a clinical trial, without those funds counting as income for the purposes of Medicare and SSI eligibility. If this bill is signed into law, those affected by rare diseases like SMA can participate in a clinical trial, and their compensation for travel and related costs won’t change their eligibility for Medicare or social security benefits.
This removes a critical barrier to participation and paves the way for trials to move forward more quickly and efficiently.
Cure SMA is pleased to be one of nearly 75 organizations who advocated with the House for the passage of this law, along with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, NORD, and PPMD.