HCV elimination plan leads to significant benefits in managing liver-related diseases and hospital interventions: a regional simulation.

OBJECTIVES: This article presents a 3-year budget impact simulation on the effects of a chronic Hepatitis C (HCV) eradication plan in real-life costs incurred by the Regional Health Service.

METHODS: The Liguria Region network performed a prospective 3-year (2017-2019) timeframe horizon trends simulation analysis focusing on management interventions and costs. It involved all the eight prescribing centers in the region, starting from retrospective historical performance data and assuming the impact of sustained viral response rates for patients treated for HCV. Data on hospital admissions, medical visits, number of patients, and deaths were collected through the healthcare database.

RESULTS: At the beginning of 2017, 2,940 patients were eligible for HCV treatment with direct-acting antivirals. Assuming to treat this entire population with a success rate of 90%, the events related to liver complications in the horizon would decrease to 5,538 cumulatively (-35%), with a 27% reduction of direct costs, showing a global savings of 24,779.024 Euros.

CONCLUSION: Treating the entire eligible HCV population would lead to significant benefits and savings in managing liver-related diseases and their direct costs, opening opportunities to re-think new settings for the future organization of liver disease management in the regional health system.