Chhatwal Evaluates Hepatitis C Elimination Plan at White House

CHDS faculty Jagpreet Chhatwal evaluated the cost and benefits of President Biden’s national hepatitis C elimination plan.

Using a decision-analytic model, Chhatwal’s team simulated the hepatitis C epidemic in all 50 states and Washington, DC. The model synthesizes data on hepatitis C patients, disease progression, screening, and treatment, as well as incorporates access to healthcare and the cost of treatment. The model has been used to project the changing prevalence and outcomes of hepatitis C in the US since 2001 and has been validated with published data and national surveys.

The investigators estimated that implementation of the national hepatitis C elimination initiative would result in 92.5% of all persons with hepatitis C getting diagnosed and 89.6% cured within five years. The initiative would avert 20,000 cases of liver cancer, 49,100 cases of diabetes, and 25,000 cases of chronic kidney disease over 10 years. The initiative would also save 24,000 lives, adding 220,000 life years.

The initiative requires Congress to allocate $12.3 billion over 5 years—$5.1 billion in new funding and $7.2 billion reallocated from other programs. The analysis found that concerns about the initial cost dissipate when considering the projected $18.1 billion in health care savings over a decade, of which $13.3 billion would be saved by the federal government.

Photo Credit: Paul E. Ward

Learn more: Read the working paper, Projected Health Benefits and Health Care Savings from the United States National Hepatitis C Elimination Initiative
Learn more: Read the related article, Dr. Jagpreet Chhatwal on the White House’s Plan to Eliminate Hepatitis C
Learn more: Read the related article, Congress Can Eradicate Hepatitis C and Reduce the Deficit at the Same Time