A new CDC Vital Signs report finds that too few people diagnosed with hepatitis C are being treated, despite the availability of drugs capable of curing this viral infection. According to CDC estimates:
- Overall, fewer than 1 in 3 people with health insurance receive direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment for hepatitis C within a year of diagnosis.
- Treatment was lowest among patients in state-administered Medicaid plans, with fewer than 1 in 4 Medicaid recipients (23%) receiving treatment within a year of diagnosis.
- Additionally, Medicaid recipients in states that restrict access to hepatitis C treatment are 23% less likely to receive treatment than Medicaid recipients in states without restrictions.
Hepatitis C is treatable with well-tolerated oral medications. Untreated hepatitis C can cause liver disease, liver cancer, and death. Treatment prevents disease and death, stops the spread of hepatitis C and saves costs. In 2019, hepatitis C contributed to the deaths of more than 14,000 people in the United States.
- For the past several years, the CDC’s annual data on hepatitis C have shown the highest rates of new infections among adults under 40, indicating that treatment of this group is critical. However, this new analysis found that adults under 40 had the lowest treatment rates by age group.
- Among people under the age of 40, hepatitis C is spread most often through injection drug use.
Everyone with hepatitis C should have access to life-saving treatment, regardless of race, ethnicity, age, or insurance status. What this data tells us is that at best only one in three people are treated within a year of diagnosis and we need to lower the barriers and get more people treated for hepatitis C in our country . This is critical to stopping preventable deaths and preventing new infections.”
Dr. Debra Khoury, MD, MPH, CDC Acting Principal Deputy Director
To ensure that people diagnosed with hepatitis C are treated, health care providers, insurers, policy makers, and public health professionals should:
- Eliminate eligibility restrictions and prior authorization requirements that make it difficult for people with hepatitis C to access treatment that will cure the infection.
- Provide treatment where people already receive services, such as primary care offices, community clinics, syringe service programs, substance use treatment centers, and correctional facilities.
- Provide treatment with as few visits as possible.
- Increase the number of primary care providers treating hepatitis C.
People don’t have to jump hurdles to get life-saving, cost-effective treatment. Removing barriers to treatment is a critical step, as is increasing hepatitis C screening. We estimate that about 40% of people with hepatitis C in the US are unaware of their infection; testing is the first step to accessing curative treatment.”
Carolyn Wester, MD, MPH, director of the CDC’s Division of Viral Hepatitis
The CDC recommends that everyone be tested for hepatitis C at least once in their lifetime, and that people with persistent risk factors for hepatitis C receive routine periodic testing.
- To find free hepatitis C tests in their area, people can visit cdc.gov.
- People diagnosed with hepatitis C should talk to a provider to start treatment and get cured.
- Those without insurance or who cannot afford treatment can look into pharmaceutical patient assistance and cost-sharing assistance programs.
source:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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