SEATTLE — Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a new rapid test that quickly detects hepatitis C.
However, its use may be limited based on insurance reimbursement costs.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly 4 million Americans have a chronic version of the disease.
Hepatitis C virus, also known as HCV, is a viral infection that causes inflammation that can damage a person’s liver through blood contact.
30% of people can naturally clear the virus without treatment. But the rest can develop a chronic infection.
Certain people have a high risk of contracting the virus, such as injection drug users or those on hemodialysis.
Detecting the virus quickly can make a massive difference in treatment.
The new finger-stick test can be done in a doctor’s office, clinic, or emergency room, where before, people would have to go in for routine lab work.
This “point-of-care” test would allow clinicians to start treatment immediately after diagnosis, increasing the likelihood of curing patients.
However, the new Cepheid Xpert HCV test costs approximately $91.00, which is more expensive than the older large-batch test.
Dr. Emily Helm, a UW resident in laboratory medicine and pathology, noted, “Even a minimal implementation of this test, such as restricting it to orders from the county hospital emergency room, would increase overall HCV testing lab costs by 22%, while broader implementation would cost millions of dollars, at a time of declining test reimbursements and challenging budgets throughout health care.”
Helm said the cost could limit its use for high-risk patients who could really benefit from the rapid testing.
It could also limit where the test can be accessed, like forcing people to use the emergency room instead of a clinic.
However, Helm says that the example of limiting the test to an emergency room like the one in Harborview Medical Center could increase lab cost to $550 per infection.
The new test could signal that the disease’s eradication is near; the only thing standing in its way is affordability.
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