if the couple was unable to prove that it was the Taiwanese spouse who infected the foreign spouse. In 2004, the secretary-general of the Persons With HIV/AIDS Rights Advocacy Association of Taiwan reported that the association had "filed applications on behalf of 24 couples to prevent a spouse's deportation. All 24 applications were turned down." No other foreigners, not even those with permanent residency or victims of rape / human trafficking, were allowed to appeal. Amendments The AIDS Prevention and Control Act was amended six times before it was renamed the HIV Infection Control and Patient Rights Protection Act in 2007. After its renaming, the act was further amended. In 2004, Taiwan's Department of Health proposed "a revision that would allow foreign HIV carriers to stay in Taiwan for less than 14 days, without restricting the number of times they can apply." The revision came under criticism by patient groups and health experts as being only a small change that did not address the central issues of human rights and the lack of evidence showing a link between deportation and decreasing the HIV infection rate. Eventually, the revised Article 18 of the HIV Infection Control and Patient Rights Protection Act allowed deported foreign nationals to apply, once per quarter, for a short-term visa that lasted no longer than 14 days. Deportation Requirement Lifted On January 20, 2015, the Legislative Yuan passed an amendment that repealed the requirement for foreign nationals diagnosed with HIV/AIDS to be subject to deportation. However, foreign residents are subject to additional barriers from treatment. In addition to being a legal resident, joining the NHI after staying in Taiwan for a minimum of six months, and having their HIV status confirmed by a hospital, foreign residents are required to pay the full costs of their HIV/AIDS treatment for two years, after which the costs will be covered by the NHI. The CDC estimates that two years of treatment costs approximately US$. See also Healthcare in Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare (Taiwan) Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan) Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS HIV/AIDS in Asia References Sources 中央健康保險局公文 疾病管制局 HIV/AIDS統計月報表 (5月。PDF格式) 疾病管制局 毒品病患愛滋減害試辦計畫 (MS Word格式) External links Centers for Disease Control — Taipei, Taiwan 1984 establishments in Taiwan Taiwan Health in Taiwan