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Dr Paul Marotta, the director of liver transplantation at London Health Sciences Centre, says by eliminating barriers to access treatment, Ontario stands to save billions of dollars in its healthcare system.
“It’s all covered,” he says. “From the public plan, it’s covered 100%. There’s a slight little co-pay, but really that’s a trivial amount and most of the time we find mechanisms to have that covered as well.”
About 1% of the population or about 110,000 people in Ontario has Hepatitis C, but Marotta says many of those infected do not even know it. He says patients can be asymptomatic for decades until they begin to suffer cirrhosis of the liver. He says screening and early intervention are crucial to eliminating the disease faster.
There are three groups he believes should request screening: baby boomers, those who live with substance addictions, and immigrants.