YourVoice.Now Summary
Average Household ImpactCorporate BenefitsTransparency & AccountabilityA ~$9.8 billion push to cure hepatitis C — flat-fee drug deals plus free treatment for Medicaid, uninsured, and inmates.
Average Household Impact
- Hepatitis C treatment access — Free cure for Medicaid, CHIP, uninsured, and Indian Health patients
- Medicare Part D cost-sharing — Deductible and copays removed for cure drugs, 2028 through 2032
- Prior authorization — Participating states may not require it for screening or treatment
- Treatment continuity after release — Participating jails must finish the course and refer to care
Corporate Benefits
- Guaranteed drug revenue — Manufacturers receive a flat annual payment under five-year contracts
- Medicaid best price exposure — Subscription prices excluded from best price calculations
- 340B discounts — Barred on hepatitis C drugs obtained through the program
Transparency & Accountability
- Public dashboard — Progress against program performance metrics must be published
- Annual reporting — Congress receives progress reports through September 2032
- Compliance audits — Pharmacies and providers audited for 340B rule compliance
The details
The federal government would mount a national push to wipe out hepatitis C. Hepatitis C is a liver infection that pills can now cure in a matter of weeks. The obstacle is price and access, not medicine. Roughly $9.8 billion would go toward closing that gap. The centerpiece is a subscription deal with drug makers. Instead of paying per pill, the government would pay a flat annual fee for as many doses as it needs. Contracts would run five years and be awarded by competitive bid. The cure would then reach specific groups at no cost to them. That covers Medicaid and CHIP enrollees in participating states, uninsured people, Indian Health Service patients, and people in federal prison. States and local jails could opt in, and those that do must keep treating people after release. Participating states also could not require prior authorization for screening or treatment. Medicare would change as well. From 2028 through 2032, Part D would charge no deductible and no copay for hepatitis C cure drugs. A separate $4.3 billion would fund testing and outreach. That money flows through community health centers, opioid treatment programs, tribal health facilities, jails, and Ryan White clinics. Health officials would publish a public dashboard tracking progress and report to Congress each year through 2032.
Congressional Summary
Cure Hepatitis C Act of 2026This bill establishes programs and requirements to provide free medications to treat hepatitis C in certain high-risk or vulnerable populations. It also establishes grants and other resources to support testing and treatment for hepatitis C. The bill provides funding for FY2027 to implement these provisions.The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must enter into a five-year purchasing contract with manufacturers of drugs that treat hepatitis C so that eligible individuals may receive the drugs without cost-sharing. Eligible individuals are those diagnosed with hepatitis C who are (1) enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), (2) confined to federal, state, or local correctional facilities (or were released and began treatment there), (3) uninsured, or (4) receiving health care through the Indian Health Service.State Medicaid and CHIP programs and state and local correctional facilities may opt into the program; participation is mandatory for federal correctional facilities and the Indian Health Service. HHS must award grants to certain entities, including states, public health organizations, and correctional facilities, to support the coordination and provision of screening, treatment, and supportive services for the affected populations. The bill also allows Medicare beneficiaries to receive hepatitis C drugs without cost-sharing from 2028-2032.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2026-07-14
- Date Added
- 2026-07-23
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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