Laura W. Cheever, MD, ScM
Associate Administrator for HRSA HIV/AIDS Bureau
Although advances in HIV care and treatment result in longer life expectancy for people with HIV, those who are coinfected with HIV and hepatitis C have a high risk of liver-related illness and death. Viral hepatitis progresses faster and causes more liver-related health problems among people with HIV than among those who do not have HIV. Approximately 25% of people with HIV are coinfected with hepatitis C.
Providers are key partners in national efforts to reduce and, ultimately, eliminate hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection among people with HIV. To support providers in diverse settings to effectively engage and remain up to date on state-specific prescribing requirements, the Health Resources and Services Administration’s HIV/AIDS Bureau released the Hepatitis C Prescriber Toolkit on TargetHIV.
The interactive Hepatitis C Prescriber allows providers to select their state and learn about health coverage requirements that may impact the prescription of hepatitis c treatment. The toolkit also includes additional resources such as links to the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) Part F AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC) Program’s HIV/HCV Coinfection Curriculum.
Each state-specific page provides a link to the regional AETC partner for training opportunities and additional coinfection resources. , It provides information on Medicare, the state’s Medicaid contact, the state’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) contact with applicable prior authorization form. Providers can also access a list of patient assistance programs if their patient is not eligible for private insurance or ADAP coverage.
The opinions expressed herein are the views of the authors and do not reflect the official position of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), SAMHSA, CSAT or the ATTC Network. No official support or endorsement of DHHS, SAMHSA, or CSAT for the opinions of authors presented in this e-publication is intended or should be inferred.