Is Point-of-Care Hepatitis C Virus Testing Too Expensive?
RNA testing carries substantial cost burden for hospitals, study finds
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Point-of-care RNA testing for hepatitis C virus could increase hospital laboratory costs by up to 260 percent if implemented broadly.
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Converting all HCV screening to point-of-care RNA testing would add approximately $2.9 million annually in laboratory costs.
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Emergency department testing for HCV increased 682 percent from 2017 to 2024, with one-third of diagnoses from safety-net populations.
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HCV antigen testing is a cost-effective alternative, potentially detecting 98 percent of infections with minimal annual costs.
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Current Medicare reimbursement rates do not cover the actual costs of point-of-care RNA testing, necessitating targeted funding strategies.
