A doctor gives advice on ARV therapy to an HIV carrier (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Only more than a half of HIVcarriers hold health insurance cards, said the Health Ministry’s Department forHIV/AIDS Prevention and Control.
According to the department, many of HIV carriers do not buyhealth insurance due to their fear of discriminations and waiting for beingchecked up, while others can not afford insurance fees or meet sufficientrequirements to own a health insurance card.
As of May, 82 percent of HIV treatment clinics at hospitalsand 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 andtreatment payments for HIV patients with insurance agencies.
The department stressed that to increase health insurancecoverage among HIV carriers, the Prime Minister directed provincial andmunicipal People’s Committees to allocate budgets to ensure all people livingwith HIV have health insurance cards.
The department is also reviewing the demand for insurancecards of several disadvantaged localities in order to use international aid tosupport them.
As international donors are phasing out assistance forHIV/AIDS control in Vietnam, patients have to pay for health checks, regulartests and antiretroviral (ARV) treatment next year if they do not have healthinsurance cards.
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The Vietnamese Government targets bringing 100 percent ofpeople with HIV into the health insurance net by 2020.
It targets the 90-90-90 goal by 2020, which refers to 90 percent of all peopleliving with HIV knowing their HIV status, 90 percent of all people diagnosedwith HIV getting sustained antiretroviral therapy, and 90 percent of all peoplereceiving the therapy having viral suppression.
According to the Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDSPrevention and Control, more than 205,000 people are living with HIV across thecountry.-VNA
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