MO Prison To Give Hepatitis C Treatment As Settlement

MO Prison To Give Hepatitis C Treatment As Settlement

Introduction

In August, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced that people who are incarcerated in Missouri prisons would receive Hepatitis C treatment and education as a part of a settlement in a federal class action lawsuit.

In December 2016, the ACLU of Missouri and the MacArthur Justice Center filed the lawsuit, which was later certified as a federal class action lawsuit in July 2017. The court documents indicate that Hepatitis C is common in Missouri prisons. Due to the lack of routine testing, the exact number is not known, but it is estimated that 10 to 15 percent of those under the supervision, care, and custody of the Missouri Department of Corrections (MDOC) and its medical provider Corizon Health are infected with HCV.

Hepatitis C, a liver infection, is caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and spreads through the blood of an infected person, leading to life-threatening conditions, including cirrhosis and liver cancer. A new class of drugs known as direct-acting antiviral (DAA) medications was approved to treat HCV. These drugs are expensive and were routinely refused to incarcerated people in Missouri, which lead to lifelong injuries and deaths.

As per the settlement, MDOC and Corizon will have spent approximately $50 million over the next eight years to treat incarcerated people in Missouri with chronic HCV. Corizon medical staff will receive HCV-related training and educational materials regarding the risks of HCV, the benefits of testing, and their policies relating to the treatment will also be made available. A quarterly report to the Plaintiffs’ counsel regarding the progress of treatment is also included in the plan.

MacArthur Justice Center, Wilkinson Walsh LLP, and ACLU of Missouri reached the settlement with the MDOC and Corizon Health. Final approval from the federal District Court is still pending, and it is anticipated to happen this fall.