HIV positive South Africans have a number of Life Insurance and Disability Insurance for up to R10 million which do not cost a fortune any longer. Living with HIV or other Chronic illnesses like Diabetes are on a similar footing in the eyes of the Insurance companies and we are seeing some really innovative products coming from the Life Insurers.
Life expectancy is the primary factor when determining the risk of any prospective Life Insurance customer and with the amount of data available to Insurance companies on the life expectancy of HIV positive people in recent years has led them to determine some very attractive HIV Life Insurance offerings that are similar in premium to some diabetic patients.
This is very encouraging in a Country where the number of HIV infected people is among the highest in the world and of course we must not forget that HIV positive people make up a significant portion of the Life Insurance market. It would have been crazy for the Insurance companies to ignore the HIV positive market as they did in the past. This resulted in many studies taking place to determine the life expectancy of people not only with HIV but with other illnesses and has allowed the Acturaies to crunch their numbers accurately.
HIV is no longer a death sentence as was previously imagined, HIV positive people make significant and long lasting contributions to the South African economy with many holding high ranking positions in corporations all over Africa.