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										Updated Sept. 21, 2022 | Print1 in 3Only about 1 in 3 people with insurance get timely treatment.46%People with Medicaid were 46% less likely to receive treatment than those with private insurance.27%Medicaid recipients of other races were up to 27% less likely to get timely treatment than White Medicaid recipients.Overview
Over 2 million adults in the United States have hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection,* and new infections have continued to rise. Hepatitis C is usually spread through blood, often from injection drug use. Left untreated, hepatitis C can cause advanced liver disease, liver cancer, and death. In 2019, hepatitis C contributed to the deaths of more than 14,200 people in the United States; deaths associated with hepatitis C were higher for Black people (5 per 100,000) and Hispanic people (4 per 100,000) than for White people (3 per 100,000).
Hepatitis C is curable in more than 95% of cases. People who test positive for hepatitis C should be treated with direct-acting antiviral (DAA) medication. Timely treatment is important to prevent liver damage and further spread. Treatment saves lives, prevents ongoing spread, and can save costs by stopping the disease from progressing.
Safe and effective medications (DAAs) for hepatitis C have been available since 2014, yet few people receive treatment within one year of diagnosis. Expanding treatment for all people with hepatitis C is essential to reducing viral hepatitis-related disparities and eliminating hepatitis C as a national public health threat. Too many barriers to treatment remain, including getting diagnosed, being linked to care, and accessing treatment. Even among insured people, only about 1 in 3 receive timely hepatitis C treatment, and this is even lower among people with Medicaid insurance.Read the full *MMWR*ASL video: English | SpanishChallengesshield icon
Most people diagnosed with hepatitis C did not receive treatment in the first year after diagnosis.blue shapeAdvance Health Equityscales icon
Healthcare providers, insurers, policy makers, and public health professionals should work together to improve access to treatment.blue shapeLink All People with Hepatitis C to Treatmenthand holding lightbulb icon
All people with hepatitis C should have timely access to lifesaving treatment.blue shapeChallengesshield icon
Most people diagnosed with hepatitis C did not receive treatment in the first year after diagnosis.blue shapeAdvance Health Equityscales icon
Healthcare providers, insurers, policy makers, and public health professionals should work together to improve access to treatment.blue shapeLink All People with Hepatitis C to Treatmenthand holding lightbulb icon
All people with hepatitis C should have timely access to lifesaving treatment.blue shapeOverview
Over 2 million adults in the United States have hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection,* and new infections have continued to rise. Hepatitis C is usually spread through blood, often from injection drug use. Left untreated, hepatitis C can cause advanced liver disease, liver cancer, and death. In 2019, hepatitis C contributed to the deaths of more than 14,200 people in the United States; deaths associated with hepatitis C were higher for Black people (5 per 100,000) and Hispanic people (4 per 100,000) than for White people (3 per 100,000).
Hepatitis C is curable in more than 95% of cases. People who test positive for hepatitis C should be treated with direct-acting antiviral (DAA) medication. Timely treatment is important to prevent liver damage and further spread. Treatment saves lives, prevents ongoing spread, and can save costs by stopping the disease from progressing.
Safe and effective medications (DAAs) for hepatitis C have been available since 2014, yet few people receive treatment within one year of diagnosis. Expanding treatment for all people with hepatitis C is essential to reducing viral hepatitis-related disparities and eliminating hepatitis C as a national public health threat. Too many barriers to treatment remain, including getting diagnosed, being linked to care, and accessing treatment. Even among insured people, only about 1 in 3 receive timely hepatitis C treatment, and this is even lower among people with Medicaid insurance.Read the full *MMWR*ASL video: English | SpanishChallengeslarge shield icon
To eliminate hepatitis C, more than 260,000 people should be treated every year. Right now, not enough people with hepatitis C are being treated yearly to reach the nation’s viral hepatitis elimination goals. The number of people treated was highest in 2015 and declined to its lowest level in 2020.
When safe and effective direct-acting antiviral treatment first became available in 2014, it cost about $90,000 per patient; while cost has come down considerably, the high cost of treatment remains a barrier to treatment for many.
Many insurance providers still have restrictions in place, preventing many people with hepatitis C from accessing lifesaving treatments. These include:
The patient must have liver damage (called “fibrosis”).
The doctor who writes the prescription must be a liver disease or infectious disease specialist.
The patient must be sober.
The doctor must receive preauthorization approval from the insurance provider to start treatment.
Treatment is not routinely integrated into primary health care.
Not enough primary care providers are treating hepatitis C.Very Few People with Hepatitis C and Insurance Receive Treatment
Even among insured people, only about 1 in 3 receive timely hepatitis C treatment, and this is even lower among people with Medicaid.
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Infographic showing that very few people with Hepatitis C and insurance receive treatmentTimely Hepatitis C Treatment* by Insurance Type
Medicaid 23% (77% not treated)
Medicare 28% (72% not treated)
Private 35% (65% not treated)
*Hepatitis C treatment started within 12 months of diagnosis during January 30, 2019 to October 31, 2020
Download Image[JPG]
People with Hepatitis C Face Multiple Barriers to Receiving Treatment
Eliminating insurance restrictions and expanding the number of primary care doctors treating the infection can improve access to treatment.
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Infographic showing people with Hepatitis C face multiple barriers to receiving treatmentEliminating insurance restrictions and expanding the number of primary care doctors treating the infection can improve access to treatment.
Diagnosed with hepatitis C
High cost of treatment
Insurance treatment restrictions:
Liver damage
Sobriety
Liver specialistTreatment not routine part of primary care
Insurance preauthorization
Starting hepatitis C treatment
Download Image[JPG]What Can Be DoneTo Advance Health EquityHealthcare providers, insurers, policy makers, and public health professionals should work to improve access to treatment for all people with hepatitis C.
Remove eligibility restrictions and preauthorization requirements that make it difficult for people with hepatitis C to be treated and cured.
Provide treatment where people receive other services, such as primary care offices, community clinics, syringe services programs, substance use treatment centers, and correctional facilities.
Provide safe and effective treatment in as few visits as possible.
Expand the number of primary care providers treating hepatitis C.Photo collage of a medical form, a doctor talking with a patient, illustration of a liver, and a blood sample.Healthcare providers, insurers, policy makers, and public health professionals should work to improve access to treatment for all people with hepatitis C.
Remove eligibility restrictions and preauthorization requirements that make it difficult for people with hepatitis C to be treated and cured.
Provide treatment where people receive other services, such as primary care offices, community clinics, syringe services programs, substance use treatment centers, and correctional facilities.
Provide safe and effective treatment in as few visits as possible.
Expand the number of primary care providers treating hepatitis C.
Photo collage of a medical form, a doctor talking with a patient, illustration of a liver, and a blood sample.To Ensure All People with Hepatitis C Receive TreatmentReduce barriers
Eliminate hepatitis C treatment eligibility restrictions.
Expand the number of primary care providers treating hepatitis C.Link and treat
Provide treatment in places where people with hepatitis C already receive care, such as primary care clinics, substance use treatment centers, and correctional facilities.
Promote best practices for providers to offer simplified testing and treatment.Reduce barriers
Eliminate hepatitis C treatment eligibility restrictions.
Expand the number of primary care providers treating hepatitis C.Link and treat
Provide treatment in places where people with hepatitis C already receive care, such as primary care clinics, substance use treatment centers, and correctional facilities.
Promote best practices for providers to offer simplified testing and treatment.Everyone can:
Get tested for hepatitis C at least once in their lifetime.
Talk to a provider to start treatment and get cured if you have hepatitis C.Footnotes and References
	**Footnotes**
*The January 2017–March 2020 estimate was obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged ≥18 Years with Current Hepatitis C Virus Infection, by Health Insurance Coverage — National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, United States, January 2017–March 2020 | MMWR (cdc.gov)). The NHANES national probability sample includes the noninstitutionalized, civilian population of the United States; because it excludes certain populations known to have high hepatitis C prevalence from its sampling frame, NHANES underestimates the true prevalence of hepatitis C in the United States. During 2013–2016, researchers estimated that an additional 0.25 million persons in high-risk population groups unaccounted for by NHANES data were infected. CDC Estimates Nearly 2.4 Million Americans Living with Hepatitis C
**Related Pages and Resources**
*Vital Signs:* Media Statement – New CDC Data Reveal Less Than a Third of People Diagnosed with Hepatitis C Receive Timely Treatment for the Deadly, yet Curable, Infection [English]
*Vital Signs:* Media Statement – Nuevos datos de los CDC revelan que menos de un tercio de las personas con un diagnóstico de hepatitis C reciben tratamiento oportuno para la mortal, aunque curable, infección [Spanish]
*Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR): Vital Signs:* Hepatitis C Treatment Among Insured Adults—United States, 2019–2020
CDC Science Clips Weekly Publications Digest
2014-2020 Hepatitis C Treatment Estimates | Newsroom | NCHHSTP | CDC
Hepatitis C resources for health care providers | CDC
Statistics & Surveillance of Viral Hepatitis | CDC
CDC: Hepatitis C: By the Numbers [619 KB, 2 pages]
What is Hepatitis C – FAQ | CDC
Learn more about hepatitis C and about getting tested | CDC
Find Free Hepatitis C Testing:  Get Tested | National HIV, STD, and Hepatitis Testing (cdc.gov)
Pharmaceutical Company Patient Assistance and Cost-Sharing Assistance Programs*:*Hepatitis: NASTAD-Table-Based-Fact-Sheet-Template-032016 [206 KB, 4 pages]email_03Vital Signs Update	Get email updates about Vital Signs		Email Address			What's this?				Submit**VITAL SIGNS RESOURCES**
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			Last Updated Sept. 21, 2022														Source: 	Office of the Associate Director for Communication
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