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Joan Stephenson, PhD

JAMA. 1999;281:600.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is launching an ambitious program offering drug treatment to veterans infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Nearly 4 million Americans are estimated to be infected with the virus; a disproportionate number of them are veterans of the Vietnam era, many of whom had blood transfusions before 1992, when HCV screening of donated blood began.

"Hepatitis C is of particular concern for VA because of its greater prevalence in VA's service population," said Kenneth W. Kizer, MD, MPH, VA under secretary for health.

The prevalence of HCV infection in the general public is about 1.8% of the population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In contrast, patient surveys of veterans receiving treatment at two VA medical centers revealed a prevalence rate of 10% to 20%, and more than half of VA liver transplantation patients were found to be . . . [Full Text of this Article]