Australian Government - Department of Health and Ageing

Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC)

Application 1021

Hepatitis C viral load testing

Application No.

1021

Application NameHepatitis C viral load testing
Advisory PanelMr Stephen Blamey
(Chair and MSAC member)
Professor Robert Batey
(Royal Australasian College of Physicians nominee)
Professor Chris Burrell
(Royal College of Pathologists nominee)
Dr William Butson
(Royal Australian College of General Practitioners nominee)
Professor Geoff Farrell
(Royal Australasian College of Physicians nominee)
Mr Martyn Goddard
(Australian National Council on Hepatitis C, AIDS and related diseases nominee)
Dr Michael Harrison
(co-opted member)
Mr Jack Wallace
(Consumers' Health Forum nominee)
Date Received by MSAC Secretariat1 November 1998
Stage 1 - EligibilityEligible
Stage 2 - AssessmentCompleted
Stage 3 - Formulation of Advice to the MinisterThis assessment was considered by the MSAC at the 17 November 1999 meeting.

The MSAC recommended that on the strength of evidence pertaining to Hepatitis C viral load testing public funding should be supported for these procedures as follows:

- the request for these tests should be restricted to consultant physicians who will manage the treatment and should only be used for patients with confirmed Hepatitis C (by ELISA or PCR test) who undertake anti-viral therapy depending on the result of testing.

The MSAC further recommended that:

- genotype testing be restricted to once only for each patient

- viral load testing be used prior to treatment, and be restricted to once only in any 12 month period; and

- in addition to the current indications in diagnosis (MBS Item 69444), viral detection (qualitative) testing be restricted to patients undertaking anti-viral therapy, and used once if needed prior to treatment and up to three times in the following twelve months to assess treatment response. The maximum number of qualitative tests for any course of treatment is four, including those provided under Item 69444.
Stage 4 - DecisionEndorsed by the Minister for Health and Ageing 6 March 2000
Stage 5 - ImplementationImplemented