Report: Many people with hepatitis C are not being treated

Editor's Note

A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vital Signs report finds that a large number of people diagnosed with hepatitis C are not receiving treatment, Heathcare Purchasing News July 10 reports. Although hepatitis C is curable with oral medication, if left untreated, it can cause liver disease, liver cancer, and death. Hepatitis C contributed to more than 14,000 deaths in the US in 2019.

Despite the availability of medication to cure this viral infection, less than 1 in 3 people with health insurance are getting direct-acting antiviral treatment within a year of diagnosis with treatment rates even lowest among patients in state-administered Medicaid plans, according to CDC.

“Everyone with hepatitis C should have access to lifesaving treatment, regardless of race, ethnicity, age or insurance status,” CDC Acting Principal Deputy Director Debra Houry, MD, MPH, said. “What these data tell us is that at best, only one in three people are treated within a year of being diagnosed and we must reduce the barriers and get more people treated for hepatitis C in our country. This is critical to stop preventable deaths and prevent new infections.”

Measures can be taken to ensure that people are diagnosed and treated for hepatitis C. “People shouldn’t have to jump over hurdles to access lifesaving, cost-effective treatment,” Carolyn Wester, MD, MPH, director of the CDC Division of Viral Hepatitis said. “Removing barriers to treatment is a critical step, as is increasing screening for hepatitis C. We estimate about 40% of people with hepatitis C in the U.S. are unaware of their infection—testing is the first step to accessing curative treatment.”