Trending News Today: Lawsuit Filed Over Hepatitis C Drug Access

Quest Diagnostics Inc has created 2 tests that can predict whether a pair of approved treatments for hepatitis C virus (HCV) will fight the disease or not. Since there are many genotypes and subtypes of HCV, finding a precise treatment that will be effective has not been possible for every patient in the past. These tests can mean that patients will be cured quickly and save money, according to The Washington Post.

New York’s attorney general filed a lawsuit against health insurer Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan. Albany Business Review reports that this insurer denied coverage for chronic HCV unless the patient had an advanced case. The attorney general states that this is part of an ongoing investigation into many health insurers who mislead members and restrict access to these life-saving drugs.

According to an article published by MedPage Today¸ American consumers spent 8.5% more on prescription drugs than in 2014. This increase was about $24 billion. The article reports that specialty drugs for diseases such as cancer treatment or the HCV cure is on the rise and reached $121 billion.