You don't read very well either or do not understand what is being said as I NEVER EVER said we pay any physicians as we NEVER EVER do that. We would NEVER do that.
We have partnered with a Clinical Trial Company that is totally independent from us that has contracts with the pharmaceutical companies. They arrange the contracts between the physicians and the pharmaceutical companies for participating in the Phase III clinical trials. Neither we nor our Clinical trial company pays the physicians as they are paid directly from companies like Pfizer, Merck, GSK, etc.
I have explained this countless times, how stupid do you have to be not to grasp this concept? I NEVER said we pay the doctors!!!
In fact, our laboratory testing is not directly tied to the clinical trial program as any testing would be paid for by the sponsor which are your major pharmaceutical companies AND physicians can choose not to use our lab and still participate in the clinical trial program. This clinical trial program is simply an ancillary income program that we offer practices but it is something that the other labs are not doing. No physician is in any way obligated to use our lab for participating in the clinical trial program, it is simply something extra that our reps can offer offices. There are many offices where we would not even want their lab work and yet they would be a great customer for our clinical trial program.
Lastly, of course I am going to defend my company from nameless cowards who accuse us of illegal activities and insults in addition to those who do not read very well and made stupid comments like you did regarding payments to physicians.
Paying physicians to participate in phase III clinical trials is perfectly legal and has been going on for many many years. How the hell else would you get physicians to take time out to try ne medications that have NOT been approved by the FDA yet?
There are groups who do NOTHING else but participate in clinical trials. Since they are not getting reimbursed at all by the insurance carriers HOW THE HELL do you think they are able to make money and stay in business if they are not getting paid by the pharmaceutical companies? This is common sense.
The reason it is legal is that the patient's insurance is NOT being billed for either the medication or the visit. In fact, common sense would tell you that any medication not yet even approved by the FDA would of course not be on any formulary and therefore not covered by any insurance and in these trials the mediation is being GIVEN to the patient for free.