A new bill introduced to the U.S. Senate aims to increase funding and access for hepatitis C virus treatment in the United States. The “Cure Hepatitis C Act” would connect HCV patients to treatment through establishing a voluntary drug subscription model. 

The model aims to connect individuals with HCV to treatment. Only 34% of people with diagnosed HCV in the United States have achieved viral clearance, according to data from 2013 to 2022.

Based on a successful pilot program in Louisiana and experience from other countries, the five-year subscription model allows the federal government to procure HCV drugs through a competitive bidding process. Manufacturers compete for contracts with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which then distributes them to HCV patients.

The bill does not require manufactures to participate, and notes that the subscription model can be tailored to different populations throughout the country. While the Indian Health Program and federal correctional facilities will be obligated to participate, state Medicaid programs and state correctional facilities can opt in to participate, according to a press release from the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.), and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).

The senators noted the costs of untreated HCV, not only to the individual but to the U.S. population, through disease transmission and healthcare costs. Specifically, they said this program could help save $6.6 billion in taxpayer dollars (such as through Medicaid and Medicare spending) just by reducing the number of HCV cases in the United States.

“We can virtually eliminate hepatitis C in a fiscally responsible way,” Dr. Cassidy said in the press release. “Curing hepatitis C makes Americans healthy again while also saving the federal government billions by eliminating the need for chronic care. It’s a win for patients, and it’s a win for the taxpayers.” 

“Hepatitis C claims thousands of American lives every year – but we have a proven model that can make this preventable public health crisis a thing of the past,” Mr. Van Hollen said in the press release. “Our bipartisan legislation offers a solution towards ensuring communities most at risk have access to the highly effective treatments that are available – saving lives while also saving billions in taxpayer dollars that are currently spent on costly chronic care.”

—IDSE News Staff

Based on a press release.

Originally published by our sister publication Infectious Disease Special Edition