A drug that has proven incredibly effective at treating hepatitis C is also proving to be a serious strain on state Medicaid budgets. 

According to a recently released report by the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, 33 states combined to spend more than $1 billion in 2014 just on Sovaldi, a drug manufactured by Gilead Sciences. 

The cost of a full 12-week treatment is $84,000, or $1,000 per daily pill. Although Gilead said earlier this year that it would give an average discount of 46 percent off its listed price, the cost is still far too high for most Medicaid programs to afford treatment for all of their enrollees.  

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