TOPIC:

• There is $1b of government funding committed in MYEFO to treat 62,500 people over 5 years – it means the price ‘on average’ is well below that for current treatments.
• The $100,000 price noted by the Minister is I believe the “List Price” – i.e. the price prior to the negotiated discounts – it is not the price that govt will pay once discounts are applied, but for complex reasons is the one they will quote.
• There is absolutely no limit on how many people can be treated in any given year in terms of the government funding. Once the $1b threshold is reached the government stops paying for the treatment and the Pharmaceutical companies have to start paying for it. This is called the risk-sharing arrangement and they are locked into the arrangement as part of the negotiations.
• The funds for hep C treatment do not come directly from cuts to pathology or imaging as some media commentators today have suggested (E.g. Sue Dunleavy in the Daily Telegraph and the Northern Territory Times). The funds for the PBS listing have been committed in MYEFO.

There is absolutely no limit on how many people can be treated in any given year in terms of the government funding. Once the $1b threshold is reached the government stops paying for the treatment and the Pharmaceutical companies have to start paying for it. This is called the risk-sharing arrangement and they are locked into the arrangement as part of the negotiations.

If this is correct, they've agreed to fund all patients who fall past the $1bn/62,500 threshold...up to the total 230,000+?


Impressive...a world-first negotation re Gilead?

If this is correct, they've agreed to fund all patients who fall past the $1bn/62,500 threshold...up to the total 230,000+?


Impressive...a world-first negotation re Gilead?

Theoretically, but many of them will not seek treatment right away, or ever, for a variety of health and lifestyle reasons. So they probably wont be spending too much on this. In five years time competition will have forced the price down and it will be a whole different ball game.

You haven't said how you know all this.

I really don't buy the idea that many people won't want treatment. Of course they will!
They'll be coming out of the woodwork in droves.
You'd have to basically be suicidal not to give it a go, especially now the community has formed so people can compare symptoms.
I'm not keen on being fobbed off with 8 weeks either.

Yes Seymour, source please,even a broad description would do.

flyingfox66 wrote: I really don't buy the idea that many people won't want treatment. Of course they will!
They'll be coming out of the woodwork in droves.
You'd have to basically be suicidal not to give it a go, especially now the community has formed so people can compare symptoms.
I'm not keen on being fobbed off with 8 weeks either.

And I would guess the $1bn previously allocated (and largely unused) to peginterferon/riba treatment has simply been swapped over to the new DAA's.

As you say fox, if the Govt is expecting a slow, gradual take-up/demand for that 1 bil, they'd better think again.

About an avalanche of patients, I dunno, I had expected thousands to buy through Buyers Club back in October but it was a relative trickle of tens of people, although it has grown to thousands world wide now probably, still a fairly low response. There seem to be many people who know they have Hep C but won't take action, even if it was free and in front of them. Many have been advised to wait. Members of this forum are the early movers.

... No doubt there are many people (mostly F0-F2) who do not know they have Hep-C.

Has anyone seen any figures on this?

Chapel wrote: About an avalanche of patients, I dunno, I had expected thousands to buy through Buyers Club back in October but it was a relative trickle of tens of people, although it has grown to thousands world wide now probably, still a fairly low response. There seem to be many people who know they have Hep C but won't take action, even if it was free and in front of them. Many have been advised to wait. Members of this forum are the early movers.

True enough mate. Also its easy to be complacent when your symptoms aren't particularly obvious - or if you attribute them to other causes.

Its true there are some people who just want to forget they have this thing and hide. They might be thinking they wont get as sick as some other people they know , besides they feel ok ... I was shocked when I tried to tell people when the club was open day 2, far as I know they havent taken it up and dont want to talk about it. Horses to water. Jill

True that, Jill. When I was diagnosed in 1990 I was (coincidentally) in a pretty bad state mentally, and couldn't have cared less at the time about having hep. It took a lot of years to get to the point where I gave enough of a shit that I started to be concerned about my viral status. As you say, if people don't care or are in denial, no amount of info about impressive cure rates is going to sway them.

Yes Zhuk sad but true. I can understand, thing is I was so worried the club would stop and the opportunity would be lost to them. Sometimes you just cant let an opportunity pass you by no matter how bad you feel. Anyway all you can do is let people know and wish them well.

Not giving a shit can be a way of coping with the fact that giving a shit would be pointless with no treatment options.

I understand your point but Iam talking about since fixhepc was started, and encouraging people to help themselves.