Georgia refuses Hep-C cure for poz guys

News in gay Atlanta of a drug that can eradicate previously incurable Hepatitis-C in 99 percent of cases was tainted last week by the state picking and choosing who can get it, excluding thousands of HIV-positive patients. It’s renewed a clarion call by activists to expand Medicaid.

The 12-week drug regimen known as V-Pak works, but it’s expensive – as much as $80,000 per patient. The National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors, which includes Georgia, negotiated a discount to about half price, but each state must decide whether or not to offer it under various programs.

In Georgia, that meant Hepatitis C patients under Medicaid will get V-Pak. But HIV-positive people with Hep C on ADAP, the HIV prescription assistance program, can’t. State agencies say they’re hamstrung by the cost to offer life-saving treatment to some and deny it to others, according to WABE.

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