Researchers from Maccabi Healthcare Services Report New Studies and Findings in the Area of Hepatitis C Virus (Implementation of a Hepatitis C Screening Program for At-Risk Former Soviet-Bloc Immigrants in a Large Health Maintenance Organization): Liver Diseases and Conditions – Hepatitis C Virus

2026 JUN 08 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Researchers detail new data in Liver Diseases and Conditions - Hepatitis C Virus. According to news reporting originating from Tel-Aviv, Israel, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a leading cause of liver disease worldwide. In 2021, Israel’s Ministry of Health launched a national program to screen high-risk populations, especially immigrants from former Soviet Union countries, aiming to reduce HCV-related morbidity and mortality.”

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from Maccabi Healthcare Services, “This study evaluates the success of Maccabi Health Services (MHS) in implementing the screening program before and after the intervention, focusing on detection, treatment, and cure rates. A retrospective interrupted time-series cohort study was conducted among MHS members born in former Soviet Union countries, between 2019 and 2024. The intervention included proactive referrals for HCV antibody testing, educational messaging, and removal of bureaucratic barriers. Key outcomes were number of tests performed, positivity rates, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmation, initiation of direct-acting antiviral treatment, and sustained virologic response (SVR). Of 179 658 eligible members, 82.3% were screened after the intervention (compared to only 14.2% before). The rate of positive antibody tests dropped from 2.6% preintervention to 1%-1.1% postintervention. Ninety-three percent of antibody-positive individuals underwent PCR confirmation, with 52% testing positive. Eighty-four percent of PCR-positive patients started treatment, with higher initiation rates in the early intervention group. Sixty-nine percent of treated patients underwent SVR testing after treatment, with a median time of 106 days from treatment completion. The proactive intervention by MHS led to a significant increase in screening coverage, detection, and treatment among the at-risk population. Removing barriers, providing education, and regular reminders were key to the program’s success.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “This structured approach can serve as a model for screening programs in other populations and countries.”

For more information on this research see: Implementation of a Hepatitis C Screening Program for At-Risk Former Soviet-Bloc Immigrants in a Large Health Maintenance Organization. Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 2026;13(5). Open Forum Infectious Diseases can be contacted at: Oxford Univ Press Inc, Journals Dept, 2001 Evans Rd, Cary, NC 27513, USA.

The news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Bar Cohen, Division of Health, Maccabi Healthcare Services, Tel Aviv, Israel. Additional authors for this research include Daniella Rahamim-Cohen, Dor Atias, Afif Nakhleh, Ori Liran, Izana Kaplan Lavi, Joseph Azuri, Limor Adler and Shirley Shapiro Ben David.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofag278. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

Publisher contact information for the journal Open Forum Infectious Diseases is: Oxford Univ Press Inc, Journals Dept, 2001 Evans Rd, Cary, NC 27513, USA.

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