News, Culture and NPR for Central & Northern Michigan

State officials work to lower the cost of drugs for Hepatitis C

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Michigan health officials say they are working to lower the cost of treatment for Hepatitis C.

The effort is part of the state’s goal to end hepatitis C in Michigan.

The state covers treatment for prisoners and Medicaid recipients but the cost has been high. Between Healthy Michigan recipients and infected prisoners, the state spent over $30-million on treatments just last year.

Lynn Sutfin is with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

“The plan is to bring down the cost by putting together a request for proposals from drug manufacturers. We want them to bid on the process so that hopefully should provide a significant discount on these programs.”

Sutfin said an estimated 115-thousand people in Michigan are infected with hepatitis C.

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