Image credit: CDC infographic

A lot of positive changes will be coming to millions of under-insured and uninsured Americans in 2014.  One change is that the U. S. Preventive Services Task Force has upgraded (6/25/13) 1-time HCV testing for baby boomers from a “C” to a “B” preventative service.  That means that insurance companies will have to cover the screening when ACA takes effect.

http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf12/hepc/hepcfinalrs.htm

The CDC has published the above simple infographic in preparation for the change: http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/hepatitisc/.

This resource also provides useful background about the implementation of ACA and HCV.

HCV could NOT have been detected prior to 1989, because the HCV protein hadn’t been identified.  NOD has discussed Dr. Edwin Southern’s Western blot test for HIV versus the Northern Blot which detects HCV here.  Almost 25 years later, HCV testing will become part of routine preventive care.  That’s cause to be happy because this clever sturdy virus is going to be infecting humans for a long time.

HCV is the most common chronic bloodborne pathogen in the U. S.. Among veterans, HCV is endemic and we explore the reasons why this is so on this weblog.

Soon everyone will be able to find out their status through their private or public health care coverage if they chose too.  Remember hearing about HCV for the first time?  It’s an emotional time.  Thousands of patients newly diagnosed with HCV will ask new questions and demand better and more truthful answers from their government.