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Delaware is phasing out its restrictions on who can get newer, more effective hepatitis C treatments.
The drugs are essentially a cure for a blood-borne disease that’s a leading cause of liver failure in the United States. But the cost has put many states, including Delaware, in a fiscal bind.
In 2014, Delaware spent nearly $2.5 million to treat 44 people; last year, it cost the state $13.5 million to treat 141 people.
Stephen Groff, director of Delaware’s Medicaid program, said at least 1,600 people with Medicaid have hepatitis C. Treating everyone at once hasn’t been an option.
“I can clearly state it is not something our budget would be able to handle,” he said.
In response, his agency has restricted the drugs to those who have more severe liver disease.
New Jersey and several other states have done the same thing. But facing pressure from lawyers, patients and doctors — along with the release of new scientific and federal guidelines — Groff’s agency has decided to phase out any disease criteria in order for Medicaid beneficiaries to qualify for treatment.
Read more…http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/delaware/94432-elana-gordon