What You Should Know:
– The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced a $100M pilot funding opportunity aimed at preventing, testing for, treating, and curing Hepatitis C (HCV) in individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) and/or serious mental illness (SMI).
– The program is specifically designed to support communities severely affected by homelessness and to gain insights on effective ways to identify patients, complete treatment, cure infections, and reduce reinfection by Hepatitis C, a liver disease caused by the Hepatitis C virus.
Integrated Care Model for a Complex Disease
Hepatitis C is a chronic disease that often intersects with other major health complications, especially addiction, mental illness, and homelessness. Untreated HCV can lead to severe health issues, including cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer. Highly effective oral medications are now available that can result in high HCV cure rates following 8-12 weeks of treatment.
The Hepatitis C Elimination Initiative Pilot was developed and will be administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). This upfront investment is a scientifically driven initiative projected to both save lives and reduce community healthcare costs in the long run. State and community-based organizations are among the entities eligible to apply for the program.
“SAMHSA is committed to Make America Healthy Again by delivering holistic treatment to each person with our belief that no one is too sick to recover,” said Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Art Kleinschmidt. “SAMHSA envisions that the selected demonstration sites will advance HHS’s gold standard in provision of effective treatment while developing best practices and successful models that can be applied to additional communities.”
