Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Senator Edward Kennedy Act to Protect
Millions of Americans With Hepatitis C

WASHINGTON --(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 23, 2003--Senators Kay Bailey
Hutchison
and Edward Kennedy today filed The Hepatitis C Epidemic Control and
Prevention Act (S-1143), announced the National Hepatitis C Advocacy
Council (NHCAC). This is the first federal response to the hepatitis C
epidemic, the most common blood-borne viral infection in the United
States.
An estimated four million Americans are currently infected with the
hepatitis C virus (HCV). HCV yearly costs are already at an alarming
$15
billion dollars. That figure is expected to skyrocket to $26 billion
by 2021.

Hepatitis C threatens the health of millions of Americans. NHCAC has
worked
to educate federal and state governments about the seriousness and
magnitude of the hepatitis C epidemic. Approximately 85 percent of
those
who contract HCV remain infected for life, and an estimated 15,000
die each
year. The annual death toll is expected to triple by 2010. There is
currently no vaccine to prevent HCV infection.

The Hepatitis C Epidemic Control and Prevention Act is groundbreaking
legislation. It will establish a comprehensive program for HCV public
awareness campaigns, screening and counseling, early detection,
professional education, and research. The program will be
administered by
the Department of Health and Human Services. State and local
hepatitis C
agencies will be supported to implement program activities.

The National Hepatitis C Advocacy Council is comprised of 22
hepatitis C
groups from across the United States. NHCAC President Lorren Sandt
commented: "This is a major step in achieving a key goal of NHCAC:
increasing financial and infrastructure support for the delivery of
hepatitis C prevention, education, and patient care services at a
level
commensurate with the impact of this disease. Chronic hepatitis C is
completely preventable with sound public health policy in place."

NHCAC Government Affairs Chairperson Sharon Phillips added: "For the
first
time, we have a bill that will work for the millions of infected
Americans.
We congratulate Senators Hutchison and Kennedy for taking action now
with
S-1143 and providing the resources necessary to address this
previously
unfunded epidemic."

Cosponsors of this bipartisan bill include Senators Daschle (D-SD),
Biden
(D-DE), Smith, (R-OR), Johnson, (D-SD), Bingaman (D-NM), Breaux (D-
LA),
Campbell (R-CO), Clinton (D-NY), Cornyn (R-TX), Dodd (D-CT), Jeffords
(I-VT), and Schumer (D-NY). A companion bill will be introduced in the
House in the next few weeks.

Contacts


National Hepatitis C Advocacy Council
Lorren Sandt, 877/737-4372
Andi Thomas, 954/931-8463
Sharon Phillips, 903/235-0408