The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is launching an integrated care model to tackle hepatitis C, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced in a news release Monday.
Through the Hepatitis C Elimination Initiative Pilot, the model will address “critical risk factors like substance use, mental health challenges and homelessness head-on,” said RFK Jr. in a statement.
States and community-based organizations can apply for $100 million in funds. The pilot was created by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
“SAMHSA envisions that the selected demonstration sites will advance HHS’ gold standard in provision of effective treatment while developing best practices and successful models that can be applied to additional communities,” said SAMHSA Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Art Kleinschmidt, Ph.D.
Notice of the funding opportunity was published online July 15 with an application deadline date of Aug. 1. The SAMHSA anticipates distributing awards to anywhere from 13 to 40 organizations.
The pilot is expected to take three years. Over the first two years, award amounts could vary from $2.5 million to $7.5 million per organization.
Monday’s funding announcement was supported by Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D., a Republican from Louisiana. Last month, he introduced bipartisan legislation to establish a voluntary drug subscription model, connecting hepatitis C patients to treatment.
The legislation permits the federal government to procure drugs, and state Medicaid programs are able to participate. It was later supported by the American Liver Foundation.
“Hepatitis C affects over 2 million Americans and claims thousands of lives every year,” said Cassidy in a statement. “Curing hepatitis C makes Americans healthy again while saving taxpayers billions by eliminating the need for chronic care. I thank President Trump and Secretary Kennedy for their leadership, and I look forward to working with them to eliminate hepatitis C.”
The Trump administration previously faced criticism for its reorganization of the HHS. The HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute urged officials to reinstate workers at the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy and the Office of Minority Health, among other offices.
More than 450 workers were later rehired at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including at the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD and Tuberculosis Prevention. The HHS’ worker head count was at one point slashed from 82,000 to 62,000 full-time employees, as lawsuits challenging the layoffs wound through the courts.