Eliminating hepatitis C
The Health Care Authority (HCA) is partnering with the Department of Health (DOH) and AbbVie US LLC, a research-based global biopharmaceutical company, in an effort to eliminate hepatitis C (HCV) in Washington State by 2030.
On this page
Learn more about eliminating hepatitis C in Washington.
Mavyret allowed to be dispensed up to a 12-week supply
Effective for claims on or after March 1, 2024, Apple Health has increased the maximum allowable days’ supply for Mavyret (glecaprevir/pibrentasvir).
Pharmacies may dispense and submit claims for up to a 12-week (84 days) supply of Mavyret in a single fill. Mavyret is preferred and does not require prior authorization.
See HCA's hepatitis C treatment policy for more information or email Apple Health pharmacy.
Strategy
HCA, DOH, and AbbVie are coordinating efforts to find individuals who are not yet treated; educate the health care workforce about screening and providing curative HCV treatment; and address barriers to care such as stigma, access to HCV providers, and the lack of urgency to treat among patients and providers.
In order to achieve HCV elimination in Washington State, DOH convened partners and stakeholders to develop the Hep C Free Washington plan. These include:
- People affected by HCV
- Local health jurisdictions
- Tribal Nations
- Medical providers
- Others with an interest in HCV elimination
What we need from providers
Action! This is a huge opportunity to rid our state of the most common blood borne disease in the United States – and now it is possible.
Effective immediately, we would like all providers licensed to treat HCV to screen and treat the target population. In order to support our provider community in this monumental effort, Apple Health (Medicaid) has made important policy changes:
- The antiviral Mavyret™ no longer requires prior authorization (PA). Other direct-acting antivirals will require review and will be approved only when Mavyret™ is not clinically appropriate.
- Anyone licensed to prescribe direct acting antiviral medications is allowed to screen and treat Apple Health members to support this effort.
Hepatitis C data dashboard
The Health Care Authority (HCA) has built a hepatitis C (HCV) elimination dashboard for your use.
This interactive dashboard shows the total number of Washingtonians diagnosed and treated for hepatitis C since 2015. The map is broken into counties so you can see the impact in your community. You can filter by age, race/ethnicity, and gender. The graph shows the total patients diagnosed and total patients treated per year with denotations of HCA policy changes.
How is the data determined?
- Patients are counted by their first date of service for diagnosis and first treatment date
- If numbers are less than or equal to 10, the county shows 0
- Treatment numbers are cumulative by year
View the hepatitis C data dashboard.
Webinars, virtual learnings, and updates
HCA has launched a webinar series dedicated to highlighting efforts to eliminate HCV in Washington State.
| Date | Recording | Topics |
|---|---|---|
| January 15, 2025 |
A message from Governor Inslee on the fight against Hepatitis C |
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| July 28, 2024 | World Hepatitis Day | |
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November 6, 2020 |
HCA webinar series recording: Myth busting: treating hepatitis C in primary care |
Presenter: John Scott, MD, MSc
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October 6, 2020 |
HCA webinar series recording: |
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Elimination awareness bus
HCA and AbbVie are deploying an HCV elimination awareness bus to areas of Washington State with high-risk HCV populations. This strategy is part of a national program to educate the population about the importance of screening and linkage to care. When a person visits the bus, they are able to get hep C antibody testing to determine if they may have the virus.
Upcoming 2025 bus stops
| Date and time | Event | Location | Hosts | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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June 27, 2025 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. |
Kitsap Community Resources Event | Bremerton, Washington.
Kitsap Community Resources. 1201 Park Ave, Bremerton, WA 98337 |
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July 28, 2025 4 p.m. - |
Hep C Free Day | Spokane, Washington.
Central Plaza. 574 N Howard St, Spokane, WA 99201 |
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July 30, 2025 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. |
Tacoma, Washington. First United Church of Tacoma, 621 Tacoma Ave S, Tacoma, WA 98402 |
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Resources
- DOH Hep C Hub
- Having trouble finding a pharmacy to fill prescriptions?
- AASLD-IDSA Simplified HCV Guidelines (without Cirrhosis)
- AASLD-IDSA Simplified HCV Guidelines (with Compensated Cirrhosis)
- CDC viral hepatitis guidelines
- Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
- AbbVie Quick Reference Guide
- Pharmacy notice - Apple Health billing
- Provider cheat sheet
- Mavyret™ nurse ambassador program
- Hepatitis C Online (uw.edu)
- Project ECHO Flyer (AMA credit available for providers)