Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination’s Post

In anticipation of #WorldHepatitisDay, ADVI Health’s Strategic Analytics, Value and Economics (SAVEs) team wanted to better understand the prevalence of #ViralHepatitis among Medicare #FeeForService (FFS) beneficiaries and their average cost of care. In 2021, we found 0.7 percent of all #Medicare beneficiaries with Hepatitis using the Chronic Condition Data Warehouse (CCW) Chronic Conditions File. The average Medicare spending for patients with Hepatitis was three times more than the average spending of the Medicare FFS population. Read more: https://lnkd.in/esXw8q6Q

Just the beginning!!! Thanks for posting :) Key Messages (CDPH):  In 2023, the number of reported tuberculosis (TB) cases increased by 271 (15%) from 1,842 in 2022 to 2,113 in 2023.   Since 2020, TB cases in California have been increasing each year for a total increase of 24%.   The 2023 case count is similar to the number of cases reported in 2019, and the percentage of people with TB who die has been increasing. In 2010, 8.4% of people with TB died and in 2020, 13% of people with TB died.   The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) reminds healthcare providers to consider TB in the differential diagnosis of community acquired pneumonia or other respiratory illnesses, particularly among patients with a risk factor for TB or with prolonged symptoms (> 2 weeks).  TB is preventable. CDPH recommends that healthcare providers test and treat for latent TB infection (LTBI) among patients at risk for TB to prevent progression to active TB disease. Providers can use the CDPH TB Risk Assessment to identify persons for whom LTBI testing is recommended.  Providers are required to report suspected and confirmed TB cases to their local public health department. Local public health TB programs can be consulted for input on diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of TB.  

TB cases are on the rise in California, with thousands of cases reported. According to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), physicians are reminded to consider the diagnosis, offer prophylaxis for exposure, and report every case. Why is this important? Because patients with TB cannot be allowed to infect others. CDPH has the authority to mandate treatment or quarantine indefinitely for active TB cases. Remember, "medical freedom" only goes so far. Stay safe and help prevent the spread of TB. Learn more about CDPH's recommendations for California healthcare providers in the link below. [Link to CDPH's recommendations for California Healthcare Providers]

Introduction by Croakey: The Sixth National Hepatitis C Strategy – expected to be finalised by the end of 2023 – will guide Australia’s efforts to eliminate hepatitis C as a public health threat by 2030. The draft Strategy outlines states: Everyone will have equitable access to safe, affordable, and effective prevention, harm reduction, education, testing, and treatment including appropriate person-centred care and support. People impacted by hepatitis C are active decision makers in their care, live free from stigma, discrimination, and racism and lead healthy and productive lives.” Although the blood-borne virus is preventable, and treatable with direct-acting antivirals, efforts to eliminate hepatitis C face challenges, according to researchers at La Trobe University, Dion Kagan, Emily Lenton, Associate Professor Kate Seear and Dr Sean Mulcahy. Stigma and discrimination in healthcare, as well as other aspects of life, prevent people from accessing appropriate treatment, Kagan and colleagues write below in an article first published in The Conversation.

The State Annual Reports Card is out for 2023! The National Organization for Rare Disorders (#nord) evaluates yearly key issues for patients & families affected by rare diseases, including: • Medicaid coverage • Protecting patients in state-regulated insurance • Developing Rare Disease Advisory Councils • Step Therapy policies • Medical nutrition • Newborn screening • Telehealth • and protecting patients against prescription drug out-of-pocket costs. Texas good news for 2023: there is now a copay accumulator ban. 💪🏻 Next hoped-for advancement -- for the 24 states that still lack one : a well-organized, high-functioning Rare Disease Advisory Council, to strategically identify and address barriers that prevent individuals living with #rarediseases from obtaining proper treatment and care for their condition. Sources: https://lnkd.in/dV6tXJZe and https://lnkd.in/dZQ-D9E2

Regardless of nuanced takes on healthcare’s role in the philosophy of human condition - HCV is a disease that can be, and should be, treated in everyone ASAP. There’s simply no downside in eradicating a slowly progressing transmissible pathogen, which has little to no deterrent effect on transmission-associated behaviors and whose treatment-cost along with other related expenses will start going down as soon as the uptake is scaled up and will only accelerate from there.

Striking the Balance: Optimising Hepatitis B Treatment Strategies in The Gambia Discover the complexities behind HBV treatment in resource-limited settings! 🌍💊 #HBV #Healthcare #TreatmentStrategies https://lnkd.in/dY4JTzKG

This Op-Ed isn't just about #hepatitis C. Its about the failures of - and the potential for - the U.S health system to deliver evidence-based care to the people who need it the most. Over the course of my career as a #primarycare provider in an #fqhc in one of the poorest counties in North Carolina, Hepatitis C went from a disease that we rarely screened for (and if we did, it was an instant referral to a specialist) to something that we regularly screened for and treated "in-house." However, it didn't happen overnight and it wasn't without enormous effort, advocacy and patience to get all components (#diagnostics , provider training, #access to medication) to fit together. #fqhc #communityhealthcenters #accesstocare #hepatitisc and #advocacy

ECHO HBV Global is revolutionizing Hepatitis B care through education in high-prevalence regions. This collaborative initiative is not only addressing gaps in diagnosis and management but also aiming to reduce HBV-related morbidity and mortality. Read more about this project, including background, outcomes, limitations and challenges. https://lnkd.in/gr7B56v6

Insurers Pocketed $50 Billion From Medicare for Diseases No Doctor Treated: A Wall Street Journal analysis has revealed that private insurers in the government's Medicare Advantage program, including UnitedHealth Group, have made numerous questionable diagnoses leading to increased taxpayer-funded payments between 2018 and 2021. The investigation found instances where patients were diagnosed with conditions they did not have, such as diabetic cataracts and HIV, often without their knowledge. These diagnoses resulted in higher payments from Medicare to the insurers. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said they are implementing changes to ensure "taxpayer dollars are appropriately spent." The story adds: In all, Medicare paid insurers about $50 billion for diagnoses added just by insurers in the three years ending in 2021, the Journal's analysis showed. Read more of this story at Slashdot.