2025 Evidence-based Health Policy Innovation Award Winners

Three states (Michigan, Missouri, and Washington) won the Center’s 2025 Evidence-based Health Policy Innovation Award this year!

These three Medicaid programs and their public health partners built coordinated purchasing and treatment strategies for population-level elimination. Michigan, Missouri, and Washington’s Hepatitis C programs share 3 core features: a preferred Hepatitis C direct-acting anti-viral (DAA) drug selected following a competitive procurement; volume-based pricing that lowers per-course cost after defined volume thresholds; streamlined access for the preferred agent with clinical exceptions for alternatives; and a comprehensive screening and outreach program. All 3 states coordinate Medicaid and public health purchasing and fund primary care training.

Hepatitis C (HCV) can lead to cirrhosis, cancer, or liver failure if untreated. Curative oral antivirals exist, yet only 1.2 million of 2.2 million U.S. adults with HCV received treatment between 2014–2020. The shortfall is greatest among Medicaid enrollees, whose HCV prevalence is three times higher than the privately insured due to overlapping risks like substance use and injection drug use.

The programs are listed below:

Full information and the award flyer are available here.

Congratulations to the winners!