NPR: Doctors Recommend Baby Boomers Get Tested For Hepatitis C

Doctors Recommend Baby Boomers Get Tested for Hepatitis C

In this segment of Morning Edition from NPR and WNYC, Dr. Jay Varma, then New York City’s Deputy Health Commissioner for Disease Control, joins the discussion on why New York State was considering legislation to mandate hepatitis C screening for all baby boomers.

The report, aired on July 3, 2013, explores the shifting national and state-level guidelines that encourage hepatitis C testing for Americans born between 1945 and 1965. At the time, hepatitis C was estimated to affect more than 3 million adults in the U.S., with many unaware of their infection status due to the virus’s long asymptomatic period.

Dr. Varma offers a candid explanation of the challenges health departments face in getting physicians to adopt new testing recommendations. While public health officials promote proactive screening as a way to reduce preventable liver disease and deaths, Varma highlights the “recommendation overload” many healthcare providers experience. With journals and agencies frequently introducing new screening suggestions, it can be difficult for frontline doctors to keep up—especially given time constraints in patient visits.

The segment also features insights from clinicians and researchers, including Dr. Brian Edlin of Weill Cornell Medical College, who advocates for expanded testing. Patient interviews underscore the human side of the story, including a 66-year-old nurse who opts for testing to avoid uncertainty about her exposure history.

New York was poised to become the first state in the nation to legislate routine Hep C testing for boomers. Dr. Varma’s remarks frame this public health policy shift within a broader discussion of the responsibilities—and limitations—of medical providers trying to keep pace with evolving science and guidelines.

🎧 Listen to the segment on NPR