Ultimately , Congress enacted a $ 900,000 increase in funding , but that figure is still woefully inadequate given the scope of this crisis . Our nation 's public-health system cannot afford another year of neglect . Each and every day in 2010 , more Americans will become infected and thousands more will silently progress to liver cancer , cirrhosis , or liver failure because they don 't they know they are infected and need treatment.Without decisive federal action , Milliman estimates that public and private payer costs for treating chronic viral hepatitis C alone will more than triple by 2024 to $ 85 billion .