To treat hep C, doctors use antiviral medications and have the goal of removing the virus from your body. And after about 12 weeks or treatment, you should have no detectable hep C virus left in your body. Recently, researchers made significant advances in treating hep C with “direct-acting” antiviral medications. They can be used in combination with traditional medications. Patients experience better outcomes, fewer side effects, and treatment times as short as eight weeks.

There is a very, very high success rate of hep C treatment, at about 95%. This is an overall cure (SVR) rate, which means the treatment has a 95% chance of completely curing hep C. You can be very confident that the treatment will work for you. It just requires some patience as well as the expertise of a professional. It’s important to note that there is no vaccine to prevent hep C, but the professional you see might recommend that you be vaccinated against hep B and hep A. These are separate viruses, but they can cause further liver damage and complicate chronic hep C.

Today, there are many different antiviral medications available for hep C. They’re quite expensive for most patients over a 12-month treatment course, typically costing tens of thousands of dollars, but treatment is often covered by insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid. However, many private insurers may reject claims for treatment, and with Medicaid, you might have to meet certain requirements in order to get coverage, such as:

• Having a referral from a specialist
• Having signs of liver damage
• Showing proof that you’ve stopped using alcohol or illicit drugs, if applicable

If you don’t have insurance or if your insurance company denies you coverage, or even if the out-of-pocket costs are too high for you, you can reach out to an organization like the American Liver Foundation, the HealthWell Foundation, the PAN Foundation, or the Partnership for Prescription Assistance. They can help you by providing or referring you for financial assistance. Also, some pharmaceutical companies offer their own patient-assistance programs to help cover the costs of their medications. These companies include Gilead (Epclusa, Harvoni, Sovaldi, Vosevi), Janssen (Olysio), AbbVie (Mavyret), and Merck (Zepatier).

You can get treatment from your physician or from us here at MedSave Clinic in Columbus, OH. Our doctors are perfectly capable of screening for hep C and providing any prescriptions for medications that you require. We can also help you determine whether insurance will cover your treatment. Additionally, we can see you without the need for an appointment, so you can simply walk right into our clinic for immediate testing and quick treatment. And as you proceed through the course of your treatment, our doctors will monitor your progress until you’re done and cured entirely.

The first step is to come see us at our clinic. An appointment isn’t necessary, so you can just come by for a visit with one of our doctors. We’re located over at 246 E Campus View Blvd. Columbus, OH 43235. If you’d prefer to make an appointment, you can do so by calling us. We serve patients from Columbus OH, Clintonville OH, Northwest Columbus OH, Worthington OH, Orange OH, and Harlem OH.

We look forward to seeing you soon and helping you with your health here at MedSave Clinic!