The cost of hepatitis C treatment can be high, but delaying treatment can lead to complications like liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, and end stage liver disease. There is also a link between hepatitis C and conditions like type 2 diabetes.
Hepatitis C is a viral infection of the liver. Treatment can cure the condition.
But while medications are extremely effective at treating hepatitis C, they come at a high cost. Research from 2020 has shown that a course of hepatitis C treatment can come with a high price tag, depending on the drug.
However, skipping treatment for hepatitis C may end up being even morecostly for both your wallet and your quality of life. The condition can lead to serious liver damage and put you at risk of other conditions, all of which can be expensive to manage and interfere with your ability to work.
Learn more about the true cost of not treating hepatitis C, along with ways to lower the price of treatment.
The first 6 months of a hepatitis C infection are called the acute phase of the condition. Your immune system wants to fight the infection and may clear it on its own, but there may be benefits to using medication at this stage.
Untreated hepatitis C beyond the initial 6-month period is known as chronic. This means that you likely need treatment to clear the infection. Without treatment, hepatitis C can harm your liver and cause severe and long-lasting symptoms. The cost of care can also go up over time.
Plus, curing the disease as early as possible can help you avoid other expensive complications down the road.
An older
Many people live with hepatitis C for months or years before receiving a diagnosis. But that doesn’t mean you should delay treatment. The longer you live with hepatitis C, the more costly damage it can do to your body, so try to start treatment as soon as you can.
Long-term hepatitis C infections can result in:
- cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver
- liver cancer
- end stage liver disease (when the liver stops working)
These conditions can come with considerable healthcare expenses. A 2020 systematic review found that the medical costs associated with cirrhosis related to hepatitis C ranged from $5,162 to more than $63,000 per person per year.
It also found that the annual cost of treating liver cancer could total more than $110,000, and a liver transplant could range from $20,127 to a staggering $578,758, with thousands of dollars in other healthcare maintenance costs after receiving the organ.
More importantly, these serious liver conditions can significantly compromise your quality of life and become fatal. Treating hepatitis C as early as possible could help prevent severe liver damage, reduce the risk of more extreme healthcare costs, and potentially save your life.
Hepatitis C doesn’t only damage your liver but can also compromise your overall health. Hepatitis C is associated with:
- type 2 diabetes
- glomerulonephritis (inflammation in the filtering part of the kidneys)
- essential mixed cryoglobulinemia (a rare disorder that causes abnormal proteins in the blood)
- porphyria cutanea tarda (a condition that causes painful blisters from exposure to the sun)
- non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (a type of blood cancer)
Each of these conditions can increase healthcare costs and seriously harm your overall health.
Hepatitis C can significantly affect your quality of life, including the ability to earn a paycheck.
A 2019 study found that for 32.2% of participants, hepatitis C reduced their work activity by at least 50%. Additionally, the average amount of work time missed was between 9.6% to 23.6% for people ages 18 to 45 years and 7.3% to 21.8% for people ages 45 to 65 years. Workers with hepatitis C also experienced lower rates of productivity on the job.
These absences reduce productivity and could lead to a lower salary or even job loss, depending on your type of work, employer, and your company’s benefits and policies. Treating hepatitis C can lead to better outcomes and help reduce the disease’s effect on your career.
Treating hepatitis C typically involves taking an oral medication for 8 to 12 weeks. In some cases, it can take up to 16 weeks. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), treatment cures the disease in
However, the cost of hepatitis C treatment can be staggering. Research from 2023 found that medications to treat hepatitis C could range from $500 to $25,000.
Keep in mind that this isn’t necessarily what you’ll spend on treatment. If you have health insurance, your policy may cover some or all of the cost of the medication.
But if you don’t have health insurance or your insurer denies coverage, you may be able to seek other forms of financial assistance to help cover the cost of hepatitis C treatment. Some drug manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies offer financial assistance programs to eligible people with hepatitis C.
For information on reducing the cost of treatment, you can contact liver and hepatitis-focused foundations, such as the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable. The American Liver Foundation also offers a prescription drug discount card accepted at more than 63,000 pharmacies.
Even though hepatitis C treatment can be expensive, the costs may be significantly less than what you may incur if the disease causes long-term damage to your health. Talk with your doctor or other members of your care team about other ways that may make your treatment more affordable.
The cost of hepatitis C treatment can come with serious sticker shock. However, delaying treatment can be even more costly for your physical and financial health, as well as your quality of life.
Many people live with hepatitis C for years before finding out they have it, but it’s important to start treatment quickly after receiving the diagnosis. Getting rid of the virus from your body can help you avoid serious liver damage and other health issues, which can be expensive to treat and even fatal.
Talk with your doctor about hepatitis C treatment to clear your body of the virus and avoid long-term health complications. If you’re having difficulty paying for medications, financial assistance may be available through hepatitis C organizations and pharmaceutical companies.