Corrections_Today_November_December_2023_Vol.85_No.6

including liver damage and liver cancer.” However, in 2013 a new generation of oral viral drugs was approved that cure Hepatitis-C “One pill a day 12 weeks with almost no side effects and a 98% cure rate,” Collins said. Two major ob stacles to Hepatitis-C elimination according to Collins are the high

Collins described why so many people are unaware of their status as a hepatitis-C carrier. “The way in which diagnosis is made is slow and clunky and re quires first an antibody test but if you are anti body positive you might

have had exposure to the virus and managed through your own im mune system to fight it off. So then you need an RNA test to see if the virus still active in your liver in which case you still need the cure.” He described the testing process and pointed out it may take as many as three visits to get a diagnosis and a prescription for the curative drug therapy.

cost of treatment and the 40% of Americans with Hepatitis-C who are completely unaware they are infected. On the cost side, Collins estimated the federal government could save $13.3 billion in health care costs by curing Hepatitis-C. He mentioned a possible model for a bipartisan program along with Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisi ana, who was a physician who has treated people with Hepatitis-C, of a “Netflix” model. Under the “Netflix” model, the drugs, which have a four to five figure price tag, would be made available to underserved communities for a flat fee. A pilot program rolled out in Louisiana in June 2019 and the number of people beginning treat ment rose dramatically but then the pandemic hit.

One pill a day 12 weeks with almost no side effects and a 98% cure rate

Collins described a way to shorten this process as soon as six months from now with a test that has performed well in other coun tries. It’s a finger stick so you don’t need a phlebotomist in order to do this test. “The test takes one hour or maybe a little less, if it is positive you are chronically actively infected; here’s your bottle of pills. Test and treat in one visit. If we can get this test ap proved by the FDA. I’m optimistic.” Collins closed by outlining some of the challenges facing cor rectional facilities in dealing with

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