Most hepatitis C patients encounter barriers to treatment: CDC
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Only a third of Americans infected with hepatitis C from 2013 to 2022 were treated and cured, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control that pointed to barriers to diagnoses, drugs and preventive services.
Why it matters: Overcoming those barriers will require comprehensive screening and treatments for all persons regardless of insurance status, the report said.
- A national strategic plan calls for 80% or more of people with hepatitis C to achieve viral clearance by 2030.
By the numbers: Younger and uninsured populations have a higher likelihood of having hepatitis C and not getting treated for it.
- One in four people with the virus under the age of 40 has been cured, and just one in four uninsured individuals has been cured, the CDC found.
- From 2013–2022, national hepatitis C testing data show that viral clearance was 34% overall and just 16% among people who were ages 20-39 years old with no insurance or those who self-paid.
- Patients with Medicare or commercial health insurance were slightly more likely to have been cured.
The intrigue: The cost of hepatitis treatments has dropped from about $90,000 or more back about a decade ago to approximately $20,000-24,000, federal health officials said, but some state Medicaid programs and private insurers still put up guardrails before people can access the drugs, including a formal diagnosis of liver disease.
- "Does that make sense? We're trying to prevent [liver disease]," said Francis Collins, the former National Institutes of Health director, who leads the Hepatitis Elimination Program.
What's next: The Biden administration is asking Congress to implement a "Netflix model" program, in which states would pay drug companies a lump sum to make hepatitis C drugs available for free to people on Medicaid and without insurance.
- The plan would also address high co-pays for Medicare recipients, who sometimes stop treatment when faced with thousands of dollars in costs, even though a course of medication only needs to be taken for a couple months.
