It was not very long ago that it was impossible to get affordable life insurance for the HIV positive but thanks to a better understanding and significant improvements in the management of HIV and AIDS, it is now possible to get Life Insurance from some Life insurance companies offering HIV positive cover.
People with HIV pay more for life insurance
Even when the Medical Aid Schemes Act compels South African medical aid companies to include HIV benefits as a minimum for all schemes, Life Insurance for the HIV positive don’t come cheap. Even though today we are seeing millions of HIV positive people living much longer than expected to in 80’s, people with HIV still pay more for life insurance. To support this claim, the University of Cape Town released a study in 2013 revealing that HIV people who start treatment can live about 80% as long as HIV negative people of the same age.
If you are looking for AFFORDABLE Life Insurance as an HIV positive person, you are still limited to certain insurance companies who are geared toward providing cover for higher risk individuals and it is best to request quotes by using the HIV information and insurance quote request form in the block on the right.
If you are currently healthy and taking anti retrovirals there are some very good options from an affordable life cover perspective and the choice of institutions is wider. This wider choice allows us to negotiate rates that are far more favourable than if you have AIDS and are less healthy.
HIV and AIDS patients can expect to pay significantly more for their life insurance than the average Joe out on the street but not that much more than a smoker. Smoking kills around 6 million people a year and is a significant burden on state medical resources. The number of people dying from HIV related causes are around 2.6 million annually.
Life insurance quotes
Insurance Quick Facts!
- Different insurance companies offer different products, speak to a financial adviser about which insurance product will best suit your needs and financial situation.
- Term and whole of life the 2 most common types of life insurance policies.
- A term policy provides cover for a specific time period (e.g. 10 years), and can provide cover for either accidental or natural death.
- A whole of life policy covers a client’s life until death.
- Factors that influence monthly premiums include medical aid and access to medical treatment, family medical history, current lifestyle, income, and education levels.
- Be aware of the terms and conditions of the policy; look out for exclusions and waiting periods.
- One often needs life insurance to access a home loan.
Company A
- Open to anybody
- Access to medical aid does not influence premiums
Company B
- Open to anybody
- Access to medical aid results in lower premiums due to availability of different treatment regimes in public healthcare clinics and private medical facilities. If a client has medical aid it is also more likely that they would follow an accepted medical protocol to manage their HIV.
- People on state ARV treatment programme qualify
- People on state ARV treatment programme qualify.
- Treatment adherence is a condition for cover
- Client is responsible for submitting results every 6 months to prove adherence.
- Clients have to cover the cost of these tests (CD4 and blood test) themselves.
- A client on HIV treatment who registers 2 consecutive blood tests showing a reduction in CD4 count, or a high viral load in any single test (a high CD4 count and a lower viral load indicate that treatment is working), will get an adherence warning.
- If no blood test is conducted every 6 months then the insured is deemed to be non-adherent.
- Treatment adherence is a condition for cover.
- Adherence is only determined at claim stage.
- No additional reporting or submission of blood tests is required during the cover period.
- When a policy holder submits a claim, company will request a report from the treating HIV clinic to determine compliance with treatment programme.
Benefit in event of non-adherence (if drugs weren’t taken as prescribed)
- Payout will be reduced to 10% of the amount insured for.
- Claims for natural death causes not related to HIV are still paid at 100% of the cover amount.
- Claims for accidental death causes are still paid at 100% of cover amount.
- Claims for natural causes related to HIV: All premiums less costs will be refunded.
Premium quoted (includes admin fee)
- R 430
- R 900
Early detection is key to long life expectancy
It has long been known that the earlier you detect the presence of the HIV virus and you begin treatment, the longer you will live. The key is to begin treatment before the virus has had the chance to create too much damage to the immune system.
Always be honest with your Insurance company
Be open, honest to a fault and never hold back any information on your insurance application that may have a bearing on the calculation of your life insurance premium. Lifestyle, nutrition, medication and a number of other factors will be discussed when calculating your insurance premium, just tell it like it is and you will get the cover you need.