An Act improving Hepatitis C screening

This Massachusetts bill requires primary care providers to offer hepatitis C screening tests to all patients over the age of 18. The law allows providers to skip the test only in specific situations, such as when a patient is being treated for a life-threatening emergency, has already been screened, or cannot give consent. To enforce these requirements, the state health department must create rules that define how often screenings must be offered and establish penalties for providers who fail to comply. These new regulations must be finalized and published within 180 days of the bill taking effect.