On Tuesday, Belgium’s equality body Unia posted a recommendation stating the federal government needs to strengthen insurance rules for people with HIV, saying they can face higher premiums or be denied cover despite advances in medical treatment.
In their statement, Unia called on the government to ban extra charges or refusals for people with HIV in instances where there isn’t a medical reason for care to be administered differently. The organisation added that if care is refused or insurers impose added fees, they should be required to justify their reasoning with clear, scientifically backed evidence.
"HIV is a chronic illness that can be very well managed," said physician Jelle Visser, head of the HIV Reference Centre at the Institute of Tropical Medicine. “Yet, insurers' decisions are still too often based on an outdated view of HIV.”
Therefore, the centre developed a template medical letter to help doctors explain their patient's current health status and prognosis. “From a medical perspective, a properly treated HIV infection does not justify a surcharge or a denial of insurance," Visser said.
Important concern
Unia stated its call for reform is backed by scientific evidence that shows people living with HIV in Belgium have a life expectancy comparable to that of HIV-negative people.
According to a report published last year by Belgian sexual health centre Sensoa, modern HIV treatments are so advanced that they allow people living with the virus to live long, healthy lives.
Sensoa, alongside other Belgian support organisations and specialists, helped draft the recommendation with Unia. Stephen Barris, the director of Ex-Aequo, one of those organisations, said his organisation consistently hears the concerns addressed in the recommendation from people living with HIV.
“Insurance is a recurring concern in the support groups and services offered by Ex-Aequo to people living with HIV,” he said. “It's the second most discussed topic after treatment. This clearly demonstrates its importance.”
