Original Medicare (Parts A & B): Hepatitis B and C Screenings

Medicare covers Hepatitis B virus (HBV) screening for those at high risk. Screenings are available once a year for those who remain high risk and do not have the Hepatitis B vaccination series. There is an increased risk for Hepatitis B if one or more of the following apply:

• Hemophilia

• End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)

• Diabetes

• Living with someone who has Hepatitis B

• Health care worker that comes in contact with blood or bodily fluids

Medicare covers Hepatitis C (HCV) screening for those who meet one or more of these conditions:

• High risk from injecting illicit drugs*

• Blood transfusion before 1992

• Born between 1945-1965

*For those at continued high risk for Hepatitis C (such as continued use of injected illicit drugs), yearly screenings are covered.

What is hepatitis?

Hepatitis literally means inflammation of the liver. The liver is a vital organ that performs many functions necessary for life. When it is damaged, function can decline, significantly impacting overall health and even leading to death.

There are several types of viral hepatitis, A through E. There are vaccines for types A and B only (HBV vaccine is covered under Medicare Part B and the Hepatitis A vaccine is covered under Part D).

• Hepatitis A (HAV). Present in the feces of infected persons and is most often transmitted through consumption of contaminated water or food. Certain sex practices can also spread HAV. Infections are in many cases mild, with most people making a full recovery and remaining immune from further HAV infections. However, HAV infections can also be severe and life threatening. Vaccine available.

• Hepatitis B (HBV). Transmitted through exposure to infective blood, semen, and other body fluids. HBV can be transmitted from infected mothers to infants at the time of birth or from family member to infant in early childhood. Transmission may also occur through transfusions of HBV-contaminated blood and blood products, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injection drug use. HBV also poses a risk to healthcare workers who sustain accidental needle stick injuries while caring for infected-HBV patients. Vaccine available.

• Hepatitis C (HCV). Mostly transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This may happen through transfusions of HCV-contaminated blood and blood products, contaminated injections during medical procedures, through injection drug use, and through tattooing with unsterilized needle guns. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common. NO vaccine available.

• Hepatitis D (HDV). Occurs only in those who are infected with HBV. The dual infection of HDV and HBV can result in a more serious disease and worse outcome. Hepatitis B vaccines provide protection from HDV infection.

• Hepatitis E (HEV). Mostly transmitted through consumption of contaminated water or food (mainly pork or wild game). HEV is a common cause of hepatitis outbreaks in developing parts of the world and is increasingly recognized as an important cause of disease in developed countries, as well. NO vaccine available in the U.S.

(World Health Organization, 2023)