Over 50 percent of HIV carriers buy health insurance

A doctor gives advice on ARV therapy to an HIV carrier (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Only more than a half of HIV
carriers hold health insurance cards, said the Health Ministry’s Department for
HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control.

According to the department, many of HIV carriers do not buy
health insurance due to their fear of discriminations and waiting for being
checked up, while others can not afford insurance fees or meet sufficient
requirements to own a card.

As of May, 82 percent of HIV treatment clinics at hospitals
and two-function medical centres signed contracts with health insurance agencies.
Of the total, 44.4 percent are providing services through health insurance.

At present, nine provinces sign contracts on examination and
treatment payments for HIV patients with insurance agencies.

The department stressed that to increase health insurance
coverage among , the Prime Minister directed provincial and
municipal People’s Committees to allocate budgets to ensure all people living
with HIV have health insurance cards.

The department is also reviewing the demand for insurance
cards of several disadvantaged localities in order to use international aid to
support them.

As international donors are phasing out assistance for
HIV/AIDS control in Vietnam, patients have to pay for health checks, regular
tests and antiretroviral (ARV) treatment next year if they do not have health
insurance cards.

The Vietnamese Government targets bringing 100 percent of
into the health insurance net by 2020.

It targets the 90-90-90 goal by 2020, which refers to 90 percent of all people
living with HIV knowing their HIV status, 90 percent of all people diagnosed
with HIV getting sustained antiretroviral therapy, and 90 percent of all people
receiving the therapy having viral suppression.

According to the Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS
Prevention and Control, more than 205,000 people are living with HIV across the
country.-VNA