Table 1. The promulgation years of reimbursement criteria for treatment of HCV of the National Health Insurance in Taiwan and our intervention studies.

	Reimbursement criteria of HCV treatment	Our intervention studies
Nov, 2003	Anti-HCV(+); twice ALT≧80 IU/L in three
	months apart within half a year; hepatic
	fibrosis grade≧ F1 level*
Nov, 2007		Experimental intervention
		program
Nov, 2009	Anti-HCV(+); once ALT≧40 IU/L; hepatic
	fibrosis grade≧F1 level or HCV RNA(+)
Mar, 2011		Accessible medical care
		program

*The fibrosis grade was according to the Metavir scoring system: F0: no scaring; F1: minimal scarring; F2: scarring has occurred and extends outside the areas in the liver that contains blood vessels; F3: bridging fibrosis is spreading and connecting to other areas that contain fibrosis; F4: cirrhosis or advanced scarring of the liver.

Abbreviation: HCV: hepatitis C virus; ALT: Alanine Aminotransferase.