Project Inform applauds the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) for making a significant change in the release of its updated hepatitis C screening recommendations to test all people born between 1945 and 1965, as well as those who are at risk of infection.
In August 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued its testing recommendations, which now includes a one-time test for baby boomers born between 1945 and 1965. However, on November 26, the USPSTF issued a Grade C for testing baby boomers … a much less influential recommendation … as well as a Grade B for at-risk populations.
After the review of much community comment since then, the USPSTF changed its baby boomer recommendation to a Grade B. This upgraded recommendation, released on June 24, has the potential of uncovering hundreds of thousands of unknown infections, saving tens of thousands of lives, and significantly curbing unnecessary health care costs and procedures. Additionally, the recommendation of routine HCV screening for those who are at risk for infection creates new opportunities for medical providers to offer testing to people who inject drugs and others at risk.
“This is an exciting develop in HCV screening,” said Andrew Reynolds, Hepatitis C Education Manager for Project Inform. “These recommendations will make it easier for people to get tested and reduce the barriers created by the stigma of HCV that keeps people from asking for the test. As the Affordable Care Act comes into effect, this opens the door for many people who otherwise could not afford to test to get screened at no cost to them.”
The final USPSTF recommendations align themselves with the federal “Action Plan for the Prevention, Care and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis”. They also coincide with the beginnings of a new era in hepatitis C treatment, where new therapies will make HCV treatment shorter and more effective than ever. Increasing hepatitis C status awareness and removing barriers to testing will lay the foundation for reducing transmission, linkage to care and access to life-saving therapies.