#prison

Class Action Suit Seeks Hepatitis C Treatment for Nevada Inmates

Some state Medicaid programs and prison systems still restrict treatment based on substance use or stage of liver disease.

Tight living spaces, lack of protective gear and preexisting health conditions may account for the higher death rate in prisons.

Telemedicine is increasingly in use during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This includes New York inmates who are older, sick, pregnant or have serious respiratory conditions or compromised immune systems.

One bill would create 1,000 new residency positions for physicians going into addiction treatment medicine.

Incarcerated individuals have a very high rate of hep C infection, making their time in custody an ideal opportunity for treatment.

David Kwiatkowski claimed that his former lawyer was ineffective.

The suit alleges “cruel and unusual punishment” by state prison officials.

An outbreak has prompted a mass vaccination effort.

Abu-Jamal spent years fighting for access to hepatitis C treatment in prison.

In a recent settlement, the state agreed to expand coverage of HCV treatment—but only to those with advanced liver scarring.

The state is appealing a ruling that requires the prison system to properly treat inmates with the virus.

But doing so would place a considerable financial burden on prison budgets.

The subscription-based model is the first of its kind.

The right was secured via a class-action lawsuit settlement.

Advocates say out of some 3,000 inmates recently diagnosed with the virus, just 46 have received any sort of treatment.