Does insurance cover clinical trial costs?

It depends on the type of cost involved. Clinical trial costs generally fall into two categories: patient care costs and research costs.

Patient care costs are costs you'd have even if you weren't in a trial, such as doctor visits, hospital stays, standard treatments, lab tests, and imaging. These are often covered by insurance, the same way they would be outside a trial.

Research costs are costs specifically related to being part of the study, such as the study drug, research-only lab tests, extra imaging done just for the trial, or additional required visits. These are often not covered by insurance, but they may be covered by the study sponsor instead.

Because coverage can vary, it's worth asking the study coordinator directly which costs are covered and confirming with your insurer, including whether pre-authorization is needed for any part of your care.