Foreign Residents With HIV in Taiwan Struggle With High Cost of Medication

TaiwanPlus News

2025 may be a record-low year for HIV transmission cases in Taiwan, but foreign residents still have to pay out of pocket for expensive medications for two years before they become eligible for insurance coverage, adding to their struggles.

Transcript

00:001, 2, 1!

00:06Peeling off common myths and fears around HIV and AIDS.

00:11On this year's World AIDS Day,

00:13Taiwan Centers for Disease Control hosted an event

00:16to raise awareness of medical treatment and prevention

00:19and embrace those who live with it.

00:21On every woman, on every woman...

00:29Drag queens also came to support members of Taiwan's LGBTQ plus community

00:33who are HIV positive.

00:36Many find it hard to break the news to their friends and family

00:39as they struggle with the virus and social stigma tied to their sexuality.

00:44But there is a group of people who face an added layer of hardship,

00:48foreign residents who've contracted HIV in Taiwan.

00:51Sharing his story by video call is Zhuang Kongkun.

00:55Originally from Malaysia, he's lived in Taiwan for over a decade.

00:59He tested positive for HIV in 2023

01:02and recalls how his life changed overnight.

01:06I have a very good friend.

01:08When he knew I was a disease,

01:09he would split our table and wash our hands.

01:13And when we wash our hands,

01:15he would use the small water to spray it.

01:18I found that I was working with only with AIDS.

01:20I want to deal with people's health.

01:22I want to deal with my body.

01:23I want to deal with my body.

01:24I want to deal with my body.

01:26I want to deal with my body.

01:28Zhuang is one of many foreign residents with HIV

01:30eligible for national health insurance.

01:33But that only kicks in to cover expensive medications

01:36two years after diagnosis and treatment.

01:39And there are other restrictions for insurance coverage.

01:42One must be employed in legal work,

01:45have valid residency after six months of living here,

01:48and have notified health authorities about their diagnosis.

01:51Many have no choice but to seek care back home.

01:54They risk judgment over their positive status,

01:57and for some, their queer identity from family and society.

02:00There are many foreign countries.

02:03In Taiwan, it is in terms of living and living.

02:06It is because of your expenses, your身份, your security, your law, your law,

02:10and your law.

02:11It makes you feel that you are not here.

02:14I have some friends who are Malaysian people,

02:17and after they were infected,

02:20they couldn't pay for this huge amount of money,

02:23so they were forced to go to Malaysia.

02:25Then they asked him to go to Malaysia,

02:29and they had to pay for it.

02:34Regardless of status and identity,

02:36foreign residents with HIV or AIDS have to carry this heavy burden

02:40if they don't have stable and sufficient income in Taiwan.

02:44NGO Taiwan Lord Association is one of few groups

02:48helping those who can't afford the medication

02:50by buying cheaper generic rents.

02:53Taiwan's CDC says it hears these demands

03:03and will consider expanding insurance coverage

03:06to help more vulnerable individuals among foreign residents.

03:10Taiwan's CDC says it hears these demands

03:12and will consider expanding insurance coverage

03:14to help more vulnerable individuals among foreign residents.

03:19NGO Taiwan Lord Association is one of the most important things

03:21in the country.

03:22Taiwan's CDC says it hears these demands

03:23and will consider expanding insurance coverage

03:25to help more vulnerable individuals among foreign residents.

03:27For example, young children, young children,

03:29or young children,

03:32who have永遠居居留的外籍感染者

03:33can have足夠的裁員經費

03:35to help them in the future

03:36in the past two years.

03:40Now, we're going to do some

03:42kind of assessment of the benefits

03:44and can be used.

03:47While the government and NGOs

03:48worked to better inform the public about HIV and AIDS,

03:52they may also hope for a future

03:54where no one is left behind.

03:56Klein Wang and Irene Lin for Taiwan Plus.

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