Life Insurers Discriminating

posted: 07/12/2010

Many life insurers discriminate against people living with HIV by refusing to offer any life insurance, or by charging unaffordable premiums, it was claimed this week.
 

8 out of 12 won't insure

Compass, a firm of financial advisers that offers specialist advice to gay and HIV-positive communities, said that eight of the top 12 UK insurers say they do not accept applications from HIV-positive people.
 

The 4 that will insure

When Compass put forward a test application to the four insurers that say they will insure people with HIV, two – Scottish Provident and Fortis – refused to offer any life insurance, said Chris Morgan, marketing manager of the Devon-based firm.
 

The other two companies were little better. Zurich wanted to charge so much extra for HIV that the customer would have to pay around £220 per month, almost double the £116 that Prudential would charge, he added.
 

Testing Insurers
They wanted to find out what life insurance would cost for a 30-year-old non-smoker with HIV, who wanted £250,000 of life cover for 10 years. He was chosen because he has one of the best blood cell counts and "viral loads" – a measure of the severity of a viral infection – of any person with HIV that Compass has tried to insure.
 

Prudential  leads, others left behind
Chris Morgan said Prudential had increased the premiums because of HIV like Zurich, but at least it was offering "useful cover at a realistic price". Early last year, Prudential became the first mainstream insurer to offer life cover to people with HIV. Since then, a few other companies have started to offer this too.
 

Stigma and in the dark ages

Morgan said: "Some of our findings and answers received from insurers are completely worrying. It is apparent the majority are still in the dark ages and attaching a stigma to HIV." In fact it is likely to be evidence of illegal discrimination.
 

He added that his firm recognised insurers had the right to decline applicants on medical grounds, but it felt they were not dedicating enough attention to this developing market, and taking the needs of HIV-positive people seriously enough.

"Either companies are avoiding the issue by not offering cover, or offering completely inadequate, overpriced products and services."
 

Paul Ward, deputy Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust told BBC Radio 4 this week: "If you are positive, you can start treatment and it's very effective. For someone in their 30s, diagnosed today, there is every likelihood they are going to live into their 70s."
 

Excuses

In a statement, Phil Brown, Zurich UK's life, underwriting and claims director, said that while it would be inappropriate to comment on individual cases, "of decisions made on HIV positives this year, approximately 85% have been offered terms". He added: "We assess each applicant on their own merits, considering the many aspects of risk involved including treatment, response to treatment and the applicant's compliance with treatment."
 

Scottish Provident said it was happy to assess applications from HIV-positive customers on an individual basis, and is most likely to offer terms where the customer has an "undetectably low" viral load, and a consistently high white cell count, has shown good compliance with anti-viral treatment, and needs cover for 10 years or less.
 

But Chris Morgan said: "We have submitted 10 pre-sales enquiries over the past three months and it eventually told us to stop sending any because it was not in the position to offer any terms."
 

Fortis commented: "We do not automatically exclude cover for customers with any pre-existing conditions. However, we assess every case on a wide range of factors in arriving at decisions on whether terms can be offered."
 

HIV and Insurance - links to Compass, insurers and more information

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'Dark Ages' HIV Life Insurance

posted: 24/11/2010

Life insurers are ‘living in the dark ages’ and stigmatising people with HIV, so that their needs are not met, according to research.
A survey conducted by the insurance intermediary Unusual Risks found that just a third of the top UK providers offer life policies to HIV positive people.

And only two of the four firms who do HIV life insurance carry out a full pre-sales quotation procedure. This means many people living with HIV are being asked to complete applications, submit to medicals and blood tests before they are given even a rough idea of what the insurance might cost.
 

Unusual Risks believe this is both non-competitive and unfair on applicants; it recognises that insurers have the right to decline applicants on medical grounds. They believe that insurers are not treating the life insurance needs of people living with HIV seriously enough.
 

Chris Morgan, marketing manager of Unusual Risks, was shocked and concerned by some of the responses from the providers it contacted about HIV life assurance.
 

"Only four responded yes, with some of the remaining companies even appearing shocked we had asked the question," he said. "Some of our findings and answers received from insurers regarding HIV life assurance are completely worrying. It is apparent that the majority of companies are still living in the dark ages and attaching a stigma to HIV. "The survey established that either companies are avoiding the issue completely by not offering cover, or in the main offering completely inadequate, over-priced products and services to HIV positive applicants.'

The four providers who originally said they would cover HIV positive clients, only two, Prudential and Zurich, accepted the test case put to them by the adviser.

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Positive Gay Men's Bright Future

posted: 12/11/2010

Bright Future is the cover story in the latest issue of U+, for gay and bi men living with HIV. Mixed status relationships, insurance with HIV, being older, making new mates at Outdoorlads, and dealing with LGV and hepatitis C are all in the latest issue.
 

Mixed doubles looks at relationships where one guy is positive and the other negative. Tim tells us about making these relationships work and has some good tips.

Insurance of all types, life, travel, pension, and critical illness are all possible for people with HIV and Are you Covered? offers useful information and advice. We’ve found a useful Living with HIV – Financial Facts leaflet on the web.

Older and Wiser explores the world of older men with HIV and the realities of getting older and more experienced with HIV. The numbers of men with HIV who are over 50 are set to mushroom and will double within the next five to ten years. What’s around and what do older positive men need?
 

Walk on the Wildside is the story of Peter Scott, who makes tons of new mates, has gained a good physique, fitness and happiness, through activities across the country he enjoys through Outdoorlads.
 

In LGV: a bum deal Rob and Stewart tell their stories of anal encounters with LGV, and Simon is on the problem page worried about hepatitis C, after his mate got it and now has 6 months of treatment injections to face.
 

download U+ issue 6

Get Health Insurance for Isle of Man or Channel Islands

posted: 26/01/2010

Anyone travelling to either the Channel Islands or Isle of Man, especially people with HIV, should get health insurance. The UK government cancelled the deal with the Channel Islands in April last year which allowed UK people to use the health service on the Islands free. From April 1st this year the deal is cancelled for people going to the Isle of Man.
 

EU health travel cards won't help

EU travel cards won’t work in the islands either, which are not part of the UK, nor part of the EU.
 

Anyone needing health care will either have to have health insurance or have to pay the full cost. The only treatment you will be able to have without insurance is at an Island hospital Accident and Emergency department but this will not include hospital admission to a ward.
 

Travel Insurance for people with HIV - links and click through to Next page for more

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