What is viral hepatitis?
Viral hepatitis is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis virus, like hepatitis B or hepatitis C. It can cause your liver to swell, which can make it not work properly. Having hepatitis C, or chronic hepatitis B that’s left untreated for a long time can lead to other problems such as:
- Cirrhosis (scarring of the liver)
- Liver failure
- Liver cancer
How do you get viral hepatitis?
You can get viral hepatitis when blood or other bodily fluids from someone with hepatitis enters your body. This can happen by:
- Sharing any of the following with someone who has hepatitis: needles or syringes, tattoo or piercing tools that weren’t sterilized properly or razors or toothbrushes
- Having unprotected sex with someone who has hepatitis
- Having a mother with hepatitis when she gave birth
- Receiving blood or an organ from someone with hepatitis before
Viral hepatitis treatment
Treatment for viral hepatitis will depend on the type you have.
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is treated with medications to help fight the virus and prevent further damage to your liver. Medications used to treat hepatitis B include:
- Oral medications that prevent the virus from making more copies of itself
- Injectable medications called interferons that help your immune system fight the virus and stop the virus from spreading
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is treated with medications that slow or stop liver damage. There is no vaccine to prevent it. But it can be cured if treated with antiviral medications.
Most people will have a combination of different antiviral medications to help fight the virus, such as oral medications that prevent the virus from making more copies of itself.
Optum Connections
Being treated with a specialty medication can be overwhelming. With Optum Specialty Pharmacy, you will be connected with a team of experts who provide clinical counseling and answer questions related to your unique needs and lifestyle, based on your medication or disease.
To help you get started, one of our patient care coordinators will call you to set up your account and answer any questions you might have. You'll also get access to Optum® Connections, an online platform built to help you manage your condition through virtual visits and a video series where you can:
- See how other patients with your condition have managed their diagnosis and treatment
- Get advice from clinical experts
- Learn more about your treatment
Helpful information
Digital calling card
It is our top priority to get your medications to you as quickly as possible. Now there’s an easy way for you to know when we are calling: add us to your contacts.
Avoid delays and get your medication faster. Text CONTACT to 55455 to add Optum Specialty Pharmacy as a contact in your phone. Message and data rates may apply. Terms & Conditions and Privacy at: optum.com/texting-terms.
Patient website
The Optum Specialty Pharmacy patient website offers extra support to help you manage your care:
- Request refills and schedule delivery dates
- Track order status
- Make payments and manage credit card information
- View and update account information
- Receive one-on-one support with a care team member or pharmacist through live chat
We're committed to making high-cost therapies more affordable. While some other pharmacies may just inform you of funding options, we work tirelessly to help you start — and stay on — therapy.
Our financial aid services include:
- Program tracking: We track funding from foundations and manufacturers.
- Enrollment relief: When possible, we check if you are eligible and help you enroll in foundation and copay card programs. We'll help you obtain, track and complete applications.
- Proactive support: Before funding expires, we renew assistance or look for other programs to help keep therapy affordable and keep you on therapy longer.
Ask your patient care coordinator, and we'll get started.
We work with your doctor’s office and pharmacy insurance plan to get any needed approvals. Our appeals team has helped overturn 8 of out 10 coverage denials resulting in more than 2,500 patients getting treatments they need after their coverage was first denied.*
If you’re a health care provider, here is how to contact us:
Optum Specialty Pharmacy
E-prescribe using the following information, and we will route to one of our pharmacies to be filled:
1050 Patrol Road
Jeffersonville, IN 47130
NPI: 1083045140
NCPDP: 1564930
Fax 1-877-342-4596
Call: 1-855-215-0235
Download a referral form
Optum Infusion Pharmacy
* 2020 Optum Specialty Pharmacy internal analysis