Nearly 90 percent of Coloradans with the chronic liver infection Hepatits C are not being treated, despite the availability of medication.
That's according to a new study from the non-profit Center for Improving Value in Health Care, which analyzed insurance claim data.
The infection is spread through tainted blood, tainted IVs, and IV drug use, says the group’s Jonathan Mathieu.
"There’s a stigma associated with Hepatitis and other diseases of the liver," he said. "There are a lot of people walking around who don’t know that they have Hepatitis C. There’s a big push now, nationally to get more people tested.”
The CDC reports Hepatitis C kills more Americans than any other infectious disease. Mathieu says revolutionary new treatments are available, but can cost up to $80,000.
