Curious about how to best utilize our new Policy Map resource? Check out this walkthrough video on the introduction to the “Mapping Preventive Care Access at the State Level: A Nationwide Scan of Coverage Mandates“ Policy Map with the Harvard Law School Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation.   Video walkthrough recorded Sept. 2026.    

Syphilis remains a significant public health challenge, and gaps between testing, diagnosis, and treatment continue to contribute to preventable outcomes, including congenital syphilis. A new brief explores how local health departments (LHDs) are using organizational policies—including standing orders, streamlined testing workflows, and field-based and presumptive treatment protocols—to improve access to timely syphilis testing and treatment. Drawing on input from LHDs across the country, the brief highlights policy and implementation considerations for reducing delays, strengthening referral and treatment pathways, and minimizing loss to follow-up. Click here to access the brief, “Reducing Delays in Syphilis Testing and Treatment: The Role of Organizational Policy at Local Health Departments.“ Click here to access the companion brief, “Policy Considerations for Local Health Departments Implementing Hepatitis C Test-to-Treat Models.”

Local health departments (LHDs) play a critical role in expanding access to hepatitis C testing, linkage to care, and treatment. A new brief examines how organizational policies—including standing orders, streamlined testing workflows, and rapid treatment protocols—can help LHDs improve the testing-to-treatment continuum and reduce delays in care. Drawing on input from LHDs across the country, the brief highlights policy and implementation considerations for strengthening low-barrier, rapid hepatitis C test-to-treat models in local public health settings. Click here to access the brief, “Policy Considerations for Local Health Departments Implementing Hepatitis C Test-to-Treat Models.” Click here to access the companion brief, “Reducing Delays in Syphilis Testing and Treatment: The Role of Organizational Policy at Local Health Departments.”  

Test-to-treat models can accelerate hepatitis C treatment initiation. Across the country, programs are implementing these models – check out what they have to say about the common facilitators and barriers to making them work. You can read and download the new resource at this link or at the button below.

Ready for HCV Test-to-Treat? Only one in three people with hepatitis C in the US receive timely treatment. From same-day point-of-care hepatitis C diagnosis to rapid treatment initiation, check out NVHR’s new resource to learn about opportunities to increase the accessibility, availability, and affordability of hepatitis C testing and treatment for all. You can read and download the new resource at this link. “In the United States (U.S.), only one in three people with hepatitis C (HCV) receive timely treatment, defined as HCV treatment within 12 months following diagnosis, despite cure rates in the range of 95% for treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). People with diagnosed but untreated HCV are at risk of morbidity and disease progression, transmission, and loss to follow up. Further progress towards eliminating HCV as a public health threat in the U.S. requires expanding testing and reducing gaps between diagnosis and treatment. The availability of point-of-care (POC) diagnostics, along with consideration to policy opportunities to address barriers to timely treatment initiation, hold promise for shortening the window between diagnosis and treatment, reducing loss to follow up, and achieving long-term health benefits and cost savings from curing a greater proportion of the 2.4 million people in the U.S. with chronic HCV.”

The landscape of Medicaid is shifting. Under the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Act (H.R. 1), significant changes are coming for millions enrolled through the Medicaid expansion pathway. Starting in January 2027, Section 71119 will require these individuals to meet new community engagement (work) requirements to maintain their coverage. At CHLPI, we know that for individuals living with or vulnerable to HIV, viral hepatitis, and other STIs, infectious diseases, these types of administrative hurdles can significantly impact individual and public health. Our new explainer breaks down: The rules: how individuals can comply with the new requirements and who qualifies for statutory exemptions. The public health risk: how these requirements may disrupt communicable disease response and health equity goals. State decisions: the critical implementation choices that will determine how easily people can navigate these new hurdles. Public health officials and providers need to be prepared. Read our full guide to understand what H.R. 1 means for your community.

An issue brief from our PIX partners at NASTAD exploring the innovative potential of pharmacies as a trusted venue for expanded and accessible Hepatitis testing in underserved communities. The brief provides an overview of the current viral hepatitis landscape in the United States and dives into the following topics: Pharmacist Scope of Practice Collaborative Practice Agreements Reimbursement for Pharmacist Clinical Services Prior Authorization Requirements for Hepatitis C Treatment

These are a set of four new jurisdictional resources analyzing the reporting requirements for negative HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) test results across the United States. These resources are designed to help health departments, laboratories, and healthcare providers better understand their local legal reporting obligations and support improved data collection, surveillance, and public health response. Check out the resources here:  https://nastad.org/resources/state-reporting-requirements-negative-hiv-and-hcv-test-results  

Check out our partner, National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable’s (NVHR) blog post highlighting considerations for Point of Care Testing!

This resource is a suite of policy snapshots, collaboratively developed by CDC, NNPHI and PHMC, which aim to equip policy and decision-makers with actionable steps to advance routine, opt-out screening policy and practice in high-impact settings and via other population-based services. Decision-makers can use this policy toolkit to understand how routine, opt-out screening policies: (a) could benefit their state; (b) have been and can be codified; and (c) are affected by local context. These snapshots were developed to assist interested decision makers identify and take actionable steps to advance routine, opt-out screening policy and procedures in high-impact settings.