CHLPI Tracks Impact of Innovative State Reentry Waivers on Hep C and HIV
“Cambridge, MA – 3/12/2025 – The Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation (CHLPI) of Harvard Law School recently released an updated Reentry Waiver Tracker to highlight uptake and implementation of state Medicaid waivers allowing states to provide Medicaid coverage to individuals that are preparing for reentry to the community from incarceration. CHLPI’s Tracker underscores how these innovative waivers, if used strategically, can be used to expand access to hepatitis C and HIV treatment and prevention. This comprehensive tracker serves as a valuable resource for policymakers, advocates, and community members seeking to understand and promote the effective implementation of these critical waivers.”
Florida issues emergency restriction on Melbourne doctor after Hepatitis C cluster
“A Melbourne doctor’s license has been restricted under an emergency order after tests confirmed three of her patients contracted a “very rare strain” of Hepatitis C.”
HCV Screening Rates in Women Remain Low in the US
“Despite universal hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening recommendations issued in 2020, HCV screening rates remain suboptimal among US women, a new analysis showed. “We found that screening rates were higher and rose more steeply in pregnant individuals compared to nonpregnant reproductive age females after this guidance.” However overall, HCV screening in women still remained low by the end of 2022, authors Roshni Singh, MD, and Rachel Epstein, MD, MSc, with the section of infectious diseases, Boston Medical Center, noted in an email to this news organization.”
Liver Disease Does Not Discriminate, Healthcare Should Not Either
“International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate women’s achievements while acknowledging the challenges they continue to face — especially in healthcare. Liver disease, a condition deeply intertwined with social and economic factors, disproportionately affects women in ways that often go unnoticed. Gender bias in healthcare, social stigma, and economic disparities continue to lead women to self-stigma, downplay symptoms, skip testing, or drop out of care – ultimately delaying diagnosis and worsening outcomes.”
ElimiNATION Awareness Tour
“In conjunction with local Tri-Cities healthcare providers Kadlec, Range Community Clinic and Molina Healthcare of Washington, The ElimiNATION Awareness Tour will be at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank on Wednesday, March 26, 2025 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. offering education about hepatitis C and offering virus antibody screenings and confirmatory tests.”
Assessing the consistency of FIB-4, APRI, and GPR in evaluating significant liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in COVID-19 patients with concurrent liver diseases
“Conclusion: Using the current cutoff values, the non-invasive assessments demonstrated almost perfect consistency in evaluating significant liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in COVID-19 patients with liver diseases, though FIB-4 and GPR showed moderate consistency in cirrhosis evaluation in patients with coexisting liver conditions. Moreover, it also indicated that increased liver fibrosis correlates with more severe COVID-19 and prolonged coronavirus negative conversion time.”
Collaborative HCV Care with Pharmacists Could Address System-Level Treatment Barriers
“New research is shedding light on the importance of collaborative care for facilitating community-based point-of-diagnosis hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment initiation among high-risk, marginalized patient populations.”
Addressing Treatment Gap for People With HIV and Hepatitis C
“Researchers identified factors associated with disparities in the uptake of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) among people living with HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV), according to new findings presented at the annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2025).”
