A Novel Strategy for Increasing Access to Treatment for Hepatitis C Virus Infection for Medicaid Beneficiaries

Ideas and Opinions17 July 2018A Novel Strategy for Increasing Access to Treatment for Hepatitis C Virus Infection for Medicaid BeneficiariesNeeraj Sood, PhD, Diane Ung, JD, Anil Shankar, JD, and Brian L. Strom, MD, MPHNeeraj Sood, PhDUniversity of Southern California, Los Angeles, California (N.S.)Search for more papers by this author, Diane Ung, JDFoley & Lardner, Los Angeles, California (D.U., A.S.)Search for more papers by this author, Anil Shankar, JDFoley & Lardner, Los Angeles, California (D.U., A.S.)Search for more papers by this author, and Brian L. Strom, MD, MPHRutgers University, Newark, New Jersey (B.L.S.)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M18-0186 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail An estimated 2.7 to 3.9 million persons in the United States were living with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in 2015 (1). The annual death toll from this condition in the United States exceeds that from HIV and 59 other infectious diseases combined (2). The good news is that curative treatments first introduced in 2013 have achieved a sustained virologic response rate greater than 90% and that sustained virologic response is associated with lower mortality among patients with chronic hepatitis (3, 4). In response, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a committee of experts to develop ...References1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Viral hepatitis: statistics and surveillance. 2018. Accessed at www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/statistics/index.htm on 10 April 2018. Google Scholar2. Ly KN, Hughes EM, Jiles RB, Holmberg SD. Rising mortality associated with hepatitis C virus in the United States, 2003-2013. Clin Infect Dis. 2016;62:1287-8. [PMID: 26936668] doi:10.1093/cid/ciw111 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Suwanthawornkul T, Anothaisintawee T, Sobhonslidsuk A, Thakkinstian A, Teerawattananon Y. Efficacy of second generation direct-acting antiviral agents for treatment naïve hepatitis C genotype 1: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2015;10:e0145953. [PMID: 26720298] doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0145953 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. van der Meer AJ, Veldt BJ, Feld JJ, Wedemeyer H, Dufour JF, Lammert F, et al. Association between sustained virological response and all-cause mortality among patients with chronic hepatitis C and advanced hepatic fibrosis. 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[PMID: 24399087] doi:10.1093/cid/ciu012 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California (N.S.)Foley & Lardner, Los Angeles, California (D.U., A.S.)Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey (B.L.S.)Financial Support: None.Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M18-0186.Corresponding Author: Neeraj Sood, PhD, University of Southern California, Verna & Peter Dauterive Hall 210, 635 Downey Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089-3333; e-mail, [email protected]usc.edu.Current Author Addresses: Dr. Sood: University of Southern California, Verna & Peter Dauterive Hall 210, 635 Downey Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089-3333.Ms. Ung and Mr. Shankar: Foley & Lardner LLP, 555 South Flower Street, Suite 3500, Los Angeles, CA 90071-2411.Dr. Strom: Rutgers University, Biomedical and Health Sciences, Stanley S. Bergen Building, 65 Berge Street, Newark, NJ 07103.