Dr Rebekah Gee Offers an Inside Look at Louisiana's Subscription Payment Model for HCV Drugs

The Louisiana Department of Health and Corrections announced in March 2019 their selection of Asegua Therapeutics, a subsidiary arm of Gilead Sciences, as their pharmaceutical partner for the state’s subscription model for hepatitis C virus treatment.

The alternative payment model, the first of its kind in the United States, was first announced in August 2018 by the Louisiana Department of Health, who explained that HCV infections are a public health crisis within the state. Though highly effective antiviral treatment exists that can largely cure patients with HCV, the price of the treatments remains high, and Medicaid patients and the Department of Corrections population are unable to access the therapies.

Under this model, instead of paying for each prescription individually, the state would pay a subscription fee to the drug company whereby the state would then receive unlimited access to the drug, similar to how consumers pay a monthly fee to stream unlimited television shows and movies.

Today, we’re speaking with Dr Rebekah Gee, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and one of the key leaders in bringing this alternative payment model to fruition.

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