To continue efforts to eliminate hepatitis C (HCV) in Michigan, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is announcing a three-year contract extension with AbbVie, the manufacturer of the chronic HCV direct-acting antiviral Mavyret® through the We Treat Hep C Initiative.

MDHHS launched the We Treat Hep C Initiative April 1, 2021, with the goal of eliminating HCV by increasing access to HCV curative treatment for Michigan Medicaid and Healthy Michigan Plan beneficiaries at little to no cost. Treatment with Mavyret® does not require prior authorization and more than 5,000 Medicaid beneficiaries have been treated for HCV through the We Treat Hep C Initiative.

HCV is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus, which can cause both short- and long-term illness. It is spread through contact with blood from an infected person. People with HCV infection are often undiagnosed because they remain without symptoms until decades after infection when symptoms due to advanced liver disease manifest.

"There is no vaccine for HCV, however, there are now highly effective therapies that can cure HCV infection when taken once daily for as little as eight weeks," said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive. "We encourage all residents to get tested for HCV and know their risk factors. Treatment is approved in children as young as three years of age."

MDHHS and its partners are dedicated to actively engaging with community partners to ensure residents are linked to HCV testing, treatment and supportive services to eliminate HCV in Michigan. Additionally, a prescriber does not have to specialize in treating HCV and medication recipients no longer have sobriety requirements which allows more people to have access to treatment.

To support clinicians with HCV disease management and treatment, MDHHS has partnered with Wayne State University's Midwest AIDS Training and Education Center to provide free case-based discussions, curricula and trainings. In addition, MDHHS has partnered with Henry Ford Health System to maintain a free HCV clinical consultation line to provide peer-to-peer advice to clinicians evaluating and treating their patients for HCV.

To help connect people living with HCV to a treatment provider, MDHHS developed a Hepatitis C Treatment Provider Map and Directory, which is a listing of clinicians with HCV treatment experience. While not a complete list of all HCV treatment providers in the state, it serves as a valuable resource for individuals seeking clinicians who treat HCV.

For more information, visit the We Treat Hep C webpage.

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