"The cost of curing chronic HCV using DAAs [Direct Acting Antivirals to cure Hepatitis C, HCV] is now lower than a single year of disease burden in Medicaid." Thus reads the lead sentence in the Conclusion section of a December 2022 journal article, Impact of Direct-Acting Antiviral Use for Chronic Hepatitis C on Health Care Costs in Medicaid: Economic Model Update (American Journal of Managed Care) on a model examining the cost and savings that come with use of DAAs to cure HCV.
Access and timely treatment with HCV DAAs, however, remains complicated and restrictive under public and private health insurance programs. Calculating cost savings is a complex undertaking, according to Overview of Cost, Reimbursement, and Cost-Effectiveness Considerations for Hepatitis C Treatment Regimens (Test, Evaluate, Monitor section in HCVGuidelines.org (AASLD/IDSA).
Learn more about HCV services:
- Utilization and Access. For data on low rates of treatment of HCV as well as citations on the costs and access limitations in Vital Signs: Hepatitis C Treatment Among Insured Adults — United States, 2019–2020 (CDC, August 2022).
- Care and Treatment. See our Hepatitis topic page, featuring HRSA-funded resources like: the Hepatitis Co-infection section in the National HIV Curriculum; the HIV/HCV Co-infection: An AETC National Curriculum; the Hepatitis C Prescriber Toolkit; and presentations from the 2022 National Ryan White Conference on HIV Care & Treatment.
- Action Plan. Read HHS's Viral Hepatitis and the Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan: A Roadmap to Elimination 2021-2025.