State Medicaid Programs Should Not Deny Hepatitis C Drugs

Morning Consult
State Medicaid Programs Should Not Deny Hepatitis C Drugs
Michael Ruppal   |   July 27, 2017

...states are making it harder to access treatment. Currently, 33 states plus the District of Columbia are restricting access to the HCV cure to patients with a Fibrosis Score of F2 or higher, and 15 of those states require a score of F3 or above. Translated into layman’s terms, a score of F2 means moderate liver scarring while F3 means severe fibrosis. Additionally, 38 states require patients to attest to or be tested for sobriety from drugs and/or alcohol, or to be assessed or enrolled in a substance use treatment program, before HCV treatment can begin. These restrictions violate Medicaid law, is against what the FDA decided when they approved the drugs and run counter to current HCV treatment guidelines.

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