Please SAVE THE DATE for the next Kentucky Department for Public Health virtual HepFreeKY Coalition Meeting: Wednesday, May 13, 2026, 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET.
More info and a calendar invite to come…
Some Resources and Updates to Share:
The KDPH Viral Hepatitis Program, and in particular, our program coordinator Katie Gardner, worked hard on developing a 3-minute educational hepatitis C video hosted on the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Vital Strategies YouTube channel. We hope that you will be able to incorporate it into outreach within your communities:
Hepatitis C is common, preventable, and curable. There are hepatitis C treatment providers who will treat you with the dignity and respect you deserve, even if you’ve been denied treatment in the past. If you are living with hepatitis C, you deserve a cure. Watch this video to learn more. Hepatitis C: You Deserve a Cure – YouTube
CDC HepTracker
The CDC recently launched their new case surveillance and mortality dashboard, HepTracker. The new interactive dashboard provides updated data visualizations and information for viral hepatitis case data and viral hepatitis-related mortality data. Access it here: HepTracker Dashboard | Viral Hepatitis | CDC
Hepatitis C: State of Medicaid Access 2025 National Snapshot Report
NVHR and the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation, has recently released the 2025 National Snapshot Report. This report provides a state-level overview of HCV treatment restrictions in Medicaid programs. Since the last update in February 2024:
- “6 more states (IA, ME, MN, NM, NJ, WV) removed prior authorization requirements.
- 3 states (AR, IA, MN) removed substance use restrictions.
- 1 state (IA) removed prescriber restrictions.
- 3 states (AR, IA, ME) removed retreatment restrictions.
- 4 states (FL, MD, NJ, SC) achieved MCO parity and transparency.”
Report cards for each state can be found here (Report Cards | Hepatitis C: State of Medicaid Access), and the National Snapshot can be found here (2025 National Snapshot | Hepatitis C: State of Medicaid Access).
And a recent study with implications for some of Kentucky’s priority populations:
Thank you to all who completed our recent Provider Survey to assess the landscape of HCV services in Kentucky!! Results will be forthcoming.
All VHP’s educational resources can be found here: KDPH VHP Educational Materials
Program email: vhp@ky.gov