Healthcare Town Hall

By jeremy.engdahl-johnson

Baby Boomers already have plenty to think about. Recent research into Hepatitis C adds a few significant concerns to the list:

• Two out of three cases of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) are among Baby Boomers
• Only 22% of those infected with HCV are diagnosed
• Long-term consequences of HCV include cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure

The financial implications of these dynamics could become significant: the cost of treating advanced liver disease in HCV patients could reach $85 billion annually in the next two decades, according to the study. As many people focus attention on how to reduce the cost of healthcare, lurking risks like these demonstrate the difficulty in solving the healthcare affordability challenge.

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Affordability, Chronic care, Cost Baby Boomers, Bruce Pyenson, Hepatitis C, Kate Fitch, Kosuke Iwasaki