The cost of treating all 250,000 Canadians who are infected with hepatitis would be $20 – 32 billion, according to Dr. Brian Goldman.

Goldman’s radio show, White Coat, Black Arts has often critiqued the high cost of drugs in Canada. On CBC radio’s On the Coast afternoon show last week, he cited the bottom-rung cost for today’s antiviral cures as $55,000 for an eight-week regimen. Often the treatment time is longer and the cost is higher.

Nonetheless, Canadians are getting a bargain–a relative one, that is. Canada’s falling dollar has ramped up the cost of food, clothing and other necessities, yet the cost antivirals for hepatitis C has remained high but stable.