Op-Ed How to pay the bill for hepatitis C

"California...is helping to lead the way out of the hepatitis C conundrum with a sensible policy: Treat everyone who needs it, but not until treatment is necessary."

How long should you wait to treat a possibly fatal but curable disease?

That's a question with major implications for millions of patients and for insurers and government programs that have to pay for the treatment.

In the last year this question has focused on hepatitis C, a viral infection of the liver that, left untreated, can lead to cirrhosis, cancer, liver failure and death. Hepatitis C is the leading cause for liver transplants in the United States.

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Only the Sickest Hepatitis C Patients Get High Cost Drugs in Medi-Cal

Drugs may be behind her, but Lovelace now lives with Hepatitis C, a result of her drug use. The disease is damaging her liver.

“I can sleep 20 hours a day, literally, with no interruptions, just sleep," she says.

The treatment Lovelace needs could cost the state as much as $85,000 for a full course.  Only people with advanced liver disease or other severe related conditions are eligible for the treatment under Medi-Cal.

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