A new report from the CDC shows that while over 95% of people infected with hepatitis C can be cured with a simple course of antivirals, over 2 million U.S. adults are still living with the virus — and many are getting no treatment. This is primarily due to the hindrances that insurance companies place on patients trying to get coverage for hepatitis C treatment.

               The key report finding shows that the overall treatment rates are low and vary by age and insurance payor. Depending on the medication, treatment for hepatitis C can cost up to $90,000 per full course of treatment. Insurance companies may help but they put barriers and hurdles in the way of doing so. For example, 38 states require the insurance provider’s prior authorization for a certain medication before it can be covered. Also, 19 states have substance abuse restrictions, making patients refrain from using drugs or alcohol for some time before treatment; and 12 states have prescriber restrictions.  

Hepatitis C patients are often recommended to take direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment, which cures over 95% of cases. The study found that DAA treatment is lowest among young adults aged between 18 and 29 years old, as well as for Medicaid recipients. Among those who use Medicaid, patients who identified as being Black, or of other BIPOC origins, and those living in states with treatment restrictions had the lowest rates of treatment.

“Our study shows that there are large gaps in hepatitis C treatments persisting nearly a decade after a highly effective curative treatment was approved,” said Dr. Carolyn Wester, director of the CDC’s Division of Viral Hepatitis. She explained that these restrictions may be particularly harmful to racial and ethnic minorities. Hepatitis C is commonly spread through injection drug use, and imposing restrictions on treatment allows the virus to run unchecked in this community. According to the CDC, cases of hepatitis C have significantly jumped as the opioid epidemic worsens — going from 2,700 infections in 2011 to an exponential 57,500 infections in 2019. Buy Lorazepam

The CDC recommends that everyone get tested for the virus at least once in their lifetime, while people with ongoing risk factors receive periodic testing. “If we don’t treat people and meet them where they’re at… they’re going to enter the health system later on with an advanced liver disease, cancer, or death,” Wester said. “We simply can’t afford to not treat people.” cheap phentermine

While the report findings are discouraging in the face of hepatitis healthcare, recognizing issues and disparities impacting treatment access is an important first step to addressing these gaps and making hepatitis treatment more accessible to those who need it. As ADRLF encourages you to SCREEN. VACCINATE. DON’T HESITATE!… we also urge you to actively explore treatment options and programs to get the crucial life-saving treatment you deserve!

To see the results of this CDC report, click here.

To learn more about hepatitis risks and treatment, visit our blog.

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