Healthcare reform and hepatitis C: A convergence of risk and opportunity

Changes from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) are dominating the healthcare landscape. These changes under ACA are very important for people infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). 2013 has seen increasing federal public health efforts aimed at diagnosing people with HCV. Baby boomers, the generation with the most HCV-infected people, has started to become eligible for Medicare. Further, new treatments for HCV are under development. Undiagnosed individuals and uninsured individuals may represent a population that payers and stakeholders have not yet experienced. This paper discusses how increased diagnosis, increased Medicare eligibility, and newly insured individuals with HCV will affect the U.S. healthcare system.