By Reverend Anthony Evans
WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES — The National Black Church Initiative (NBCI), a coalition of 150,000 African American and Latino faith communities comprising 27.7 million members, and the American Clinical Health Disparities Commission (ACHDC) urge the U.S. Congress to pass HR 9682
The federal legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to eliminate hepatitis C is designated as H.R. 9682 (titled the Cure Hepatitis C Act of 2026).
Rev. Anthony Evans, president of the National Black Church Initiative: “We have a cure for Hep C, why are we not making it available to all Americans? This Congress should know that this is one of the issues African Americans will be taking to the polls come November”
According to the JAMA article at PubMed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37943553/), African Americans face severe health disparities regarding the hepatitis C virus (HCV), with a prevalence rate double that of non-Black Americans (1.8% vs. 0.8%) and the Viral Hepatitis article at the CDC website (https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/php/npr-2023/hep-c-reduce-deaths-nhb.html) reports age-adjusted death rates that remain significantly higher than the national average.
“We have a cure for Hep C, why are we not making it available to all Americans? This Congress should knows that this is one of the issues African Americans will be taking to the polls come November” – Rev. Anthony Evans, President, National Black Church Initiaitve
Prevalence and Death Rate Disparities
- Higher Burden: The National Library of Medicine statistical data (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5857937/) indicate that while African Americans make up 13% to 14% of the U.S. population, they account for 23% to 25% of all chronic hepatitis C cases.
- Mortality Statistics: Data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/php/npr-2023/hep-c-reduce-deaths-nhb.html) show that the hepatitis C-related mortality rate for Black individuals is roughly 5.01 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.98 per 100,000 for white individuals.
Key components of the legislation, according to the bill text:
Source: Cure Hepatitis C Act of 2026, H.R. 9682 (https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/BILLS-119hr9682ih)
Purchasing Model: Establishes a federal subscription-style procurement model with drug manufacturers to lower the cost of hepatitis C curative treatments.
Cost-Sharing Elimination: Removes cost-sharing and prior authorization barriers for targeted populations, including Medicaid, uninsured individuals, and the Indian Health Service, alongside temporary Medicare Part D provisions.
Public Health Funding: Allocates billions in grants to state, local, tribal, and correctional health facilities to step up routine screening and “test-to-treat” infrastructure.
Eliminating hepatitis C is an achievable public health goal that transcends party lines. H.R. 9682 was introduced by members of both parties: Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R), Diana DeGette (D), Hank Johnson (D), and Don Bacon (R). Curative therapies are more than 95 percent effective and capable of eliminating the virus in as little as 8 to 12 weeks, yet many Americans remain undiagnosed or untreated, placing them at risk of cirrhosis, liver cancer, and other serious complications (https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis-c/hcp/clinical-overview/index.html). The U.S. Congress has an unprecedented opportunity to address this by supporting the coordinated national program to eliminate hepatitis C authorized by the Cure Hepatitis C Act.
About the National Black Church Initiative
The National Black Church Initiative is a coalition of 150,000 African American and Latino faith communities comprising 27.7 million members. NBCI works to eradicate racial disparities in healthcare, technology, education, housing, the environment, and economic opportunity. Its programs combine faith, credible research, and practical strategies to address complex economic and social challenges.
ABOUT ACHDC The American Clinical Health Disparities Commission
The American Clinical Health Disparities Commission (ACHDC) is a coalition of African American and Latino clinicians and clergy that educates, generates interest, and improves clinical trial participation among NBCI’s constituents. ACHDC is an award-winning, accredited provider of continuing medical education with a substantial catalog of clinician and patient education focused on unconscious bias, health inequities, and diversity, equity, and inclusivity.
