Antiviral treatment is unavailable to many hepatitis C patients

New research published in the journal Hepatology has revealed that U.S. patients with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) are twice as likely to lack health insurance than others without the disease. Moreover, only one third of HCV infected individuals have access to antiviral therapy.

Lead study author Zobair Younossi said that treatment can significantly improve the quality of life for people living with HCV, but many of them either do not have adequate health insurance or are not eligible for treatment because of contraindications that could result in severe treatment-related problems.

Researchers who surveyed HCV-positive individuals over the course of two years found that only 36 percent of the patients who were physically eligible for antiviral treatment had health insurance that would cover the therapy, which can cost upwards of $48,000 per year.

HCV is a liver disease, which typically presents acute symptoms of illness, but can develop into a chronic infection easily, since many individuals are unaware that they are infected. The virus is spread through blood-to-blood contact between an infected person and another party.

Confidential online testing services are available to anyone who would like to be tested for HCV or other sexually transmitted diseases.