NCDHHS Releases Statement from State Health Director, Dr. Elizabeth Cuervo Tilson, on Increasing Access to Treatment for Syphilis | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    RALEIGH     As part of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services' ongoing effort to respond to the rise in syphilis and congenital syphilis cases and increase access to treatment, NC Medicaid will now cover an additional treatment for syphilis and congenital syphilis, Extencilline. This new coverage is being added to address the ongoing national shortage of Penicillin G Benzathine (Bicillin L-A), the first-line treatment for syphilis. In response to this additional resource being offered for people in North Carolina, State Health Director and NCDHHS Chief Medical Officer Dr. Elizabeth Cuervo Tilson released this statement:

    "Congenital syphilis infections are the highest they have been in almost 20 years, leading to lifelong health impacts and infant deaths. We have to act now to combat this crisis as syphilis and congenital syphilis are preventable. The action by NC Medicaid to now cover this additional treatment is another example of our commitment to reverse this concerning trend. We want to ensure our providers have as many tools as possible to care for their patients. We will all need to continue to work together to protect our people through early detection and rapid treatment of infection."

    Please see the NC Medicaid bulletin for more information on coverage of Extencilline. Please see the NCDHHS provider resource page for the latest case numbers and more information on how NCDHHS is working to improve access to syphilis testing and treatment, as well as raise community awareness about this growing epidemic. This work is being done so people have access to the information and treatment they need when and where they need it.

• NC Department of Health and Human Services
• 2001 Mail Service Center
• Raleigh, NC 27699-2001
• Ph: (919) 855-4840
• news@dhhs.nc.gov