NEWS FROM….

CONGRESSMAN LANE EVANS

RANKING DEMOCRATIC MEMBER

COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS

    U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Washington, DC – Congressman Lane Evans of Illinois, Democratic Leader of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, today commended the American Liver Foundation (ALF) for making in-home Hepatitis C test kits available to veterans in Chicago in conjunction with several veterans service organizations. The ALF’s newly formed Veteran’s Council on Hepatitis C and Liver Disease is urging veterans nationwide to be tested for hepatitis C -- a potentially life-threatening illness that is four to five times more prevalent among veterans than it is among the general public.

"The Veterans Council is offering in-home Hepatitis C test kits to all U.S. veterans from Monday, July 3, through Sunday, July 9," said Evans. "Perhaps one in ten veterans in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health system has Hepatitis C. Vietnam veterans in particular are at increased risk for Hepatitis C (HCV), a potentially life-threatening form of liver disease. It is a major public health threat that the VA and the veterans community are working very hard to address. I urge any concerned veteran to get testing, either by contacting the online or hotline connections, or through VA or private health professionals."

The test kits will be available to veterans via the Internet or a toll-free help line. The American Liver Foundation recommends veterans speak to their physician about getting tested, or simply obtain, FDA-approved at-home Hepatitis C test kit by visiting www.liverfoundation.org, or by calling 1-888-888-HEPC from Monday, July 3, through Sunday, July 9. (Veterans receiving a test kit, valued at about $70.00, will be required to pay only a shipping and handling fee of $6.00.) The testing and test results are completely confidential.

On the website, veterans may take a simple quiz to determine their Hepatitis C risk and, if they are at risk, receive the easy to use at-home test kit. The toll-free number, which employs the same process, is staffed by professional counselors who can provide additional information about Hepatitis C, the locations of local VHA facilities, or the names of local physicians who are expert in the management of the disease.

The at-home test kits being provided in conjunction with this veterans program are being supplied by Home Access Health Corporation, the only FDA-approved manufacturers of at-home test for Hepatitis C. With this easy-to-use test, a person collects a small blood sample in private, and then mails it to a certified blood-testing laboratory. Using a personal identification number that guarantees confidentiality, the person can then call a toll-free number to learn their test results within 10 business days.

Evans commended the American Liver Foundation for forming its new Veterans Council, which held its inaugural meeting last week in Washington DC. Several veterans service organizations, experts in the field of Hepatitis C, and health professionals from within VA’s Veterans Health Administration (VHA) make up the Council. The American Legion, AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Vietnam Veterans of America are members of ALF’s Veterans Council.

VHA study shows increased incidence of Hepatitis C among veterans
A study conducted by the Veterans Health Administration involving 26,000 veterans indicated that up to 10 percent of all veterans in the VHA system may have Hepatitis C. This rate is four to five times greater than the infection rate among the general population. In this study, veterans who served in Vietnam accounted for more than 60 percent of all positive test results.

The increased incidence of Hepatitis C among veterans could be the result of exposure to blood-borne HCV from blood transfusions received during or after combat-related surgical care or other medical care provided on the battlefield. HCV is spread by contact with infected blood. Primary risk factors for HCV infection include blood transfusions and organ transplants received prior to July 1992 and injection drug use. HCV may be transmitted sexually, through drug use, sharing a razor or toothbrush with an infected person, or the application of tattoos with unsterile equipment.

"Hepatitis C is frequently a disease without acute symptoms," Congressman Evans says. "The virus can go undetected for 20 or even 30 years, only to be discovered after severe liver damage has occurred. I strongly encourage area veterans to take advantage of this Hepatitis C testing opportunity."

Hepatitis C legislation pending
Congressman Evans is an original co-sponsor of important legislation introduced by Dr. Vic Snyder (D-AR) to establish a presumption that veterans who have a current diagnosis of Hepatitis C and were exposed to certain risk factors associated with Hepatitis C infection during military service incurred the disease during military service. These risk factors include:

• health care workers
• veterans who received blood or blood products before December 31, 1992, and
• veterans who had tattoos, body piercing or acupuncture during military service.

If passed, the bill would allow veterans to receive service-connected compensation without providing proof of the source of their infection. "Our bill had a hearing on April 13, before the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Benefits Subcommittee," Evans said. "This hearing was an important step to enacting this legislation. Congress ought to approve this measure."

"Initiatives such as this test program are vital for identifying and testing those who served our country and are infected with this disease," said Representative Vic Snyder (D-AR), who serves with Evans on the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs committees. "I urge veterans to participate in this important program and applaud the American Liver Foundation’s Veterans Council for making this program available when there is such great need."

Evans noted that the American Liver Foundation is a leading national voluntary health agency dedicated to the improved understanding and care of viral hepatitis and other forms of liver disease through research and education. The American Liver Foundation’s Veterans and Hepatitis C Programs are supported by an educational grant from Hoffman-LaRoche, Inc. "I cannot measure the value of this work," Evans said, "but it will pay off in lives saved."