While Costs Have Fallen for Hepatitis C Drugs, Medicaid Programs Still Restrict Access

Several state Medicaid programs continue to restrict access to hepatitis C medications that could cure beneficiaries, reduce health inequities and decrease health care costs, according to a JAMA Network Open study authored by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) employees. Nathan W. Furukawa, M.D., the lead author, tells AIS Health that while the restrictions have eased over time, more needs to be done to help patients and eliminate a disease that has multiple curative treatments.  

The authors noted that since the FDA first approved oral direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for hepatitis C in 2013, the medications have proven to be associated with cure rates of greater than 95% within 8 to 12 weeks. However, usage of the medications has been less than expected in part because payers are wary of their high costs. For instance, they said DAAs cost between $84,000 and $94,500 per treatment initially, although the costs have fallen to $11,500 to $17,000 after rebates and pharmacy discounts, according to an estimate this summer from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Common DAAs include Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) and Harvoni (ledipasvir/sofosbuvir).