The utilization of health insurance amomg HIV/AIDS patients in an outpatient clinic of Lao Cai provincial hospital 2020

Abstract

Objective: This article aims to describe the current situation of using health insurance of HIV / AIDS patients at the Outpatient Clinic (OPC) of Lao Cai General Hospital in 2020.

Methods: The article uses quantitative data from a study using cross-sectional design. There were 313 HIV/AIDS infected patients participating in the study and were treated at the hospital outpatient clinic in Lao Cai province from January to September 2020. Descriptive statistical analysis was applied using SPSS 16.0 software. Results: The percentage of patients using health insurance cards for medical examination and treatment related to HIV in the past 12 months was high, accounting for 91.37%; using health insurance card in all visits is 97.23%. The highest age group that does not use health insurance card was from 35 to 50 years old, accounting for 59.26%, and all patients who were more than 50 years old reported using health insurance. The reasons for not using health insurance cards for medical examination and treatment are mainly due to fear of disclosing HIV/AIDS status and stigma and discrimination, and lack of information about health insurance; offline health insurance; time for medical examination and treatment under health insurance is long.

Recommendation: The rate of use of health insurance cards related to HIV is generally high but still low in the age group 35-50. Hospitals need to improve the medical examination and treatment process of health insurance; develop and implement a communication plan on health insurance; reduce against stigma and discrimination of health workers, assure confidentiality in the process of medical examination and use of health insurance cards, people aged 35-50 years old should get more attention.