A patient has died from AIDS in Switzerland because he was not paid for HIV treatment

As it became known to the media, an HIV-positive patient died from AIDS in Switzerland in the end of 2017. He was being refused of a medical treatment due to missing necessary health insurance, and the insurance company refused several times to pay for the treatment because of missing insurance premiums payments. This has been published by Blick with a reference to local sources. This is the first death due to AIDS case for the last few years in Switzerland.

At the end of last year, a 50-year-old man died from AIDS in the Chur hospital (Switzerland). His health insurance company, ÖKK, did not pay for the important antiretroviral therapy. Due to missing insurance premiums payments, he was put on the "black list". In such situation, the insurance company provides only emergency cases medical assistance.

This case does horrify. Lisa Janisch, AIDS-Hilfe Graubünden director, expresses her convince as follows: "The death of this person is also linked with the fact that his name was on the "black list". The man addressed to the insurance company twice for the therapy to be payed. For the first time when he became HIV-positive, and for the second time when it ended up already with the AIDS. But in both cases the ÖKK insurance company refused to pay for the treatment.

The press secretary of the ÖKK confirms that the HIV-positive patients who are included in the "black list" are not paid for their medication. This is not an "proper solution" of the ÖKK, it is required as such by the law. "Legally, we cannot pay for someone who is on the "black list", - says the press secretary. - "It is only possible for emergency cases."

The cost of medication for an HIV-positive patient in Switzerland is about 2,000 swiss francs per month (about $ 2,000). More and more people cannot pay their health insurance premiums. Because of the insolvent payers, nine cantons (federal subjects of Switzerland) created the "black lists". Nowadays, they have on those more than 33 thousand people.

As it became known to Life4me+, an association of people living with HIV, Positivrat, is preparing an intentional murder legislation against the government of the canton and the health insurance company.