Faculty Articles
Effect of Health Insurance on Hepatitis C Sustained Virologic Response Rates to Sofosbuvir-Based Treatment Regimens in a South Florida Community Hospital
Publication Title
Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (JIAPAC)
Publisher
Sage Publications
ISSN
2325-9582
Publication Date
1-1-2019
Keywords
chronic hepatitis C, HIV, SVR, sofosbuvir-based regimens, insurance status
Abstract
The high cost of direct-acting antiviral-based regimens raises concerns about the outcome of treatment in uninsured patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. This study assessed the relationship between health insurance status and sustained virologic response (SVR) rates in a community hospital in South Florida. Sofosbuvir-based therapy was initiated in 82 patients, of which 73% were uninsured and 28 (34%) were HIV coinfection. The overall SVR rate for those tested was 98%. The SVR rates were similar between HCV mono- and HCV/HIV coinfected patients (96% versus 100%, P = .204). Uninsured patients, with access to patient assistance programs, had comparable SVR rates to insured patients (100% versus 95%, P = .131). However, there was a trend toward a higher rate of loss to follow-up in uninsured compared to insured patients (25% versus 9%, P = .116). Strategies specific to adherence to treatment for uninsured patients are needed to reduce rates of loss to follow-up.
DOI
10.1177/2325958219835590
Volume
18
First Page
2325958219835590
Last Page
2325958219835590
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences | Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
NSUWorks Citation
Eckardt, Paula; Niu, Jianli; Savage, Angela; Griffin, Tara; and Sherman, Elizabeth, "Effect of Health Insurance on Hepatitis C Sustained Virologic Response Rates to Sofosbuvir-Based Treatment Regimens in a South Florida Community Hospital" (2019). Faculty Articles. 364.
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/hpd_corx_facarticles/364
