The House Gets It Right on Inclusion — Now Let’s Deliver Hepatitis C Elimination, We are ALL WorthTheCure
Contact: Adam Ortega adam.ortega@treatmentactiongroup.org
July 21, 2026 — Treatment Action Group (TAG) welcomes the introduction of the House companion to the Cure Hepatitis C Act (S.1941) and applauds Representatives Diana DeGette (D-CO), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Hank Johnson (D-GA), and Don Bacon (R-NE) for advancing bipartisan legislation to eliminate hepatitis C in the United States. We are particularly encouraged that the House bill removes the immigration-based eligibility restrictions contained in Section 10 of the Senate version — an important improvement that brings the legislation closer to the public health principles necessary to achieve hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination in the United States in our lifetimes.
HCV is a curable infectious disease, and its elimination can only be achieved when everyone at risk has access to prevention, testing, linkage to care, and treatment/cure. According to the WHO 2026 Global Hepatitis Report, approximately 47 million people are estimated to be living with HCV globally, only 36% are aware of their status, and around 20% had been treated by the end of 2024. [1] In addition, about 0.9 million new HCV infections occur yearly, and approximately 239 000 people died from HCV — mainly from cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma — in 2024 alone. [2] In the USA, approximately 2.4 million people live with chronic HCV [3] of which 44% do not know their status, [4] and only about 1 in 3 people get timely treatment. [5] Annual new infections peaked 69,000 in 2023 well above the annual target of 35,000. [6] Every year 15,000 people die from HCV-related liver disease, surpassing the death rate from HIV. [7]
Infectious diseases do not recognize immigration status, and public health programs should not either. Removing these exclusions strengthens both the public health impact and the fiscal value of a national hepatitis C test-and-treat strategy by ensuring that more people can be diagnosed and cured before developing advanced liver disease or transmitting infection to others. The House bill recognizes that expanding access—not restricting it—is essential to ending hepatitis C as a public health threat.
While this change represents meaningful progress, additional improvements are still needed if Congress is to fully realize the promise of hepatitis C elimination.
First, the legislation should more explicitly prioritize people who inject drugs. Injection drug use remains the leading route of hepatitis C transmission in the United States. Eliminating hepatitis C will require scaling up routine testing, immediate access to curative treatment, medications for opioid use disorder, and evidence-based harm reduction services alongside the proposed subscription model.
Second, Congress should strengthen the bill’s approach to correctional health. Correctional facilities carry a disproportionate burden of hepatitis C, yet diagnosis and treatment remain inconsistent across jurisdictions. The legislation should include stronger provisions supporting routine screening, timely treatment during incarceration, and seamless linkage to care upon release to prevent treatment interruptions and reinfection.
Third, stigma and discrimination must be recognized as barriers to elimination. Fear of judgment, criminalization, and discrimination continue to prevent many people from seeking hepatitis C testing and care. Hence, the need for sustained investment in community education, peer navigation, culturally appropriate outreach, and provider training to reduce stigma across healthcare settings.
Fourth, hepatitis C elimination requires a comprehensive prevention strategy. Curative treatment alone will not end transmission. Congress should pair expanded treatment access with stronger support for evidence-based prevention interventions, including syringe services programs and other proven harm reduction measures that reduce new infections while connecting people to care.
Finally, communities most affected by hepatitis C must be partners in implementation. People with lived experience—including people who use drugs, formerly incarcerated people, immigrants, and others disproportionately affected by hepatitis C—should help design, implement, monitor, and evaluate the national program. Community leadership has been central to successful HIV, tuberculosis, and viral hepatitis responses worldwide and will be equally critical to achieving hepatitis C elimination in the United States.
The introduction of this improved House companion bill demonstrates that bipartisan, evidence-based policymaking is possible. By removing immigration-based exclusions, lawmakers have taken an important step toward ensuring that the benefits of scientific innovation reach everyone who needs them. We encourage Congress to build on this momentum by strengthening the bill’s provisions on harm reduction, correctional health, stigma reduction, continuity of care, and meaningful community engagement.
The United States has an unprecedented opportunity to eliminate hepatitis C. With curative medicines and the diagnostics infrastructure already available, the remaining barriers are largely policy and implementation challenges. Congress should seize this opportunity to pass legislation that reflects the best available public health evidence and ensures that no community is left behind.
[1] World Health Organization. Global Hepatitis Report 2026. [Internet]. April 28, 2026. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240122383. [Cited July 21, 2026].
[2] World Health Organization. Hepatitis C Key Facts. [Internet]. June 26, 2026. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hepatitis-c. [Cited July 21, 2026].
[3] Hofmeister MG, Rosenthal EM, Barker LK, et al. Estimating prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in the United States, 2013-2016. Hepatology. [Internet].2019 March 69:1020–31. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30398671/ [Cited July 21, 2026].
[4] Kim HS, Yang JD, El-Serag HB, Kanwal F. Awareness of chronic viral hepatitis in the United States: an update from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. J Viral Hepat. [Internet]. 2019 May 26:596–602. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30629790/. [Cited July 21, 2026].
[5] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vital Signs: Too Few People Treated for Hepatitis C. [Internet]. 2021 September 21. https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/hepc-treatment/index.html#print. [Cited July 21, 2026].
[6] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Viral Hepatitis National Progress Report 2025. 2025 April 16. https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/php/npr-2025/hep-c-reduce-infections.html. [Cited July 21, 2026].
[7]American Liver Foundation. Hepatitis C Information Center. No date. https://liverfoundation.org/liver-diseases/viral-hepatitis/hepatitis-c/#:~:text=Each%20year%2C%20more%20than%2017%2C000,aptly%20called%20the%20silent%20epidemic. [Cited July 21, 2026].
About TAG: Treatment Action Group (TAG) is an independent, activist and community-based research and policy think tank fighting for better treatment, prevention, a vaccine, and a cure for HIV, tuberculosis, and hepatitis C virus. TAG works to ensure that all people with HIV, TB, and HCV receive life-saving treatment, care, and information. We are science-based treatment activists working to expand and accelerate vital research and effective community engagement with research and policy institutions.