CAHP’s On Target series highlights noteworthy information we believe is valuable to the ongoing California health care dialogue. In the latest On Target, we highlight Capital Public Radio’s coverage of Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed budget, which sets aside hundreds of millions of dollars for high-priced prescription drugs, specifically those used to treat Hepatitis C. The near-six figure prices of these drugs are unsustainable and continue to be a budget buster across state programs. Brown's Budget Proposal Allocates Millions For Hepatitis C Drugs Capital Public Radio January 12, 2015 “The new proposed California budget -- released on Friday by Governor Jerry Brown -- sets aside roughly $300 million for high-cost drugs, particularly for the treatment of Hepatitis C. “The state says each drug regimen for Hepatitis C runs about $85,000. It says there are thousands of people in California prisons and in the Medi-Cal program who need the treatment… “…only a fraction of Hep C patients benefit because of the prices pharmaceutical companies charge for the drugs.” Listen to the story here. "The cost of the drugs is now making them unattainable for the majority of patients, so whether it’s a private insurance company, or a public payer, very few payers will be able to cover the cost of all of the patients in our entire country." - Dr. Rena Fox, University of California at San Francisco Read CAHP’s official statement on the budget here and see CAHP’s fact sheet on this issue, Spotlight on Specialty Drugs. California Association of Health Plans CAHP is a statewide trade association representing 42 full-service health plans. CAHP works to sustain a strong environment in which health plans can provide access to products that offer choice and flexibility to the more than 24 million members they serve. For more information, please visit www.calhealthplans.org or call (916) 552-2910. ###