OLYMPIA – Following Friday’s federal court decision compelling the Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) to administer lifesaving hepatitis C medications for all patients with the liver-destroying infection, Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Kent, released the following statement:
“I applaud the U.S. District Court’s decision requiring the HCA to provide lifesaving drugs to the nearly 28,000 Washingtonians enrolled in Medicaid and diagnosed with hepatitis C.
“It is a tragic state of affairs when tens of thousands of Washingtonians are told they are ineligible for proven treatment until after they suffer severe damage to their bodies.
“Budget decisions have consequences, and this case demonstrates clearly that when priorities are skewed in the wrong direction, people’s lives and well-being are at stake.
“Moving forward, the Legislature must prioritize a budget which saves lives rather than puts them on the line.”
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For Interviews: Sen. Karen Keiser, 360-786-7664
For Information: Aaron T. Sherman, 360-786-7853
