Michigan’s hepatitis C (HCV) cases have been on the decline since 2022, due to several coordinated efforts including, eliminating Medicaid restrictions, partnering with a pharmaceutical company to offer low-cost direct acting-antivirals (DAA), to hiring an academic detailer to educate medical students and providers, to creating a hepatitis C disease intervention specialist (DIS) program to link individuals to care. Despite these interventions, access barriers and treatment disparities remain. The HCV Telehealth Treatment Program (HTTP) aims to provide low barrier care while increasing access to evaluation and treatment to all Michiganders.

In 2024, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) hired a nurse practitioner (NP) to implement the HTTP. The program was piloted with the MDHHS HCV DIS and recently expanded to receive referrals from syringe service programs and local health departments. The NP is responsible for providing HCV clinical evaluation, treatment, care coordination, and follow-up via telehealth appointments. The HTTP strives to provide low barrier care by providing flexible appointment times outside the standard hours, 100% telehealth besides lab work, check-ins and reminders are done by text messaging, and if individuals need more support or experiencing barriers to treatment and/or treatment adherence they can be referred to the MDHHS HCV DIS.

The HTTP received its first referral in July 2025 and since then has received 51 referrals with 24 people having started or completed treatment. The average time from referral to consultation is three days and from consultation treatment starting.