Is there such a thing as a HIV Friendly Insurance Company? By Chris Morgan
Having advised clients living with HIV for over 20 years, this is a question I have returned to on many occasions, since HIV Life Insurance was launched in 2009. For the record I led the campaign to get Life Insurance products for HIV Positive people and I’m still campaigning today on all of the relevant issues.
My product research list very much tells a story of HIV “friendly” and HIV “Unfriendly” insurers. I have all of the main insurance groups ranked based upon premiums, service standard, underwriting outcomes and any practices that are particularly “unfriendly” towards people living with HIV.
Over this four part series of articles I will raise the key issues still facing people living with HIV when applying for Life Insurance, Income Protection & Critical Illness Cover. I am the UK’s most experienced and knowledgeable financial adviser looking after HIV Positive clients in the UK and these articles will highlight all of the current key issues that cross my desk.
HIV Life Insurance & HIV Life Assurance
I meet many HIV positive clients that are declined for cover by Life Insurers every week, normally without any reasonable explanation. Up to 50% of applications in the general life insurance market are declined for people living with HIV, we are here to help anyone that has been turned away by a life insurance company.
Since the launch of HIV Life Insurance in 2009 I’ve been campaigning on behalf of the HIV Community for better terms on policies. Previously terms had been limited to just 10, 15 or 20 years, which left many policy holders asking when would they be able to secure longer term cover?
Many existing policy holders now only have 5, 10 or 15 year terms remaining on their existing policies and many companies are still only offering 20 years as their maximum term. Do not settle for a short term policy, we can now arrange longer term Life Insurance for people living with HIV.
Income Protection & Critical Illness Cover
Long Term Illness Cover is something that I have been campaigning for over the last 15 years and finally we are able to offer Income Protection cover to people living with HIV. This is valuable insurance for protecting both a persons personal income or mortgage payments.
We meet people every week that have been declined for either Income Protection or Critical Illness Cover by the main insurance providers, banks and building societies. We do have the most up to date research and advice for HIV Positive people who are seeking Income Protection or Critical Illness Cover.
*** IMPORTANT CRITERIA INFORMATION ***
Those most likely to be accepted for Income Protection cover are people with HIV that do not have any other significant medical conditions, or those with only minor controlled pre-existing conditions for example asthma, high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
The criteria for approval is currently extremely strict, but we do feel a duty of care to offer quotations to those who may qualify. We maintain that this product was deliverable over 10 years ago, but it is only now that it is becoming available in limited quantities in the market.
If you think you qualify for the new products and would like to find out more about HIV Income Protection, or general advice about Critical Illness Cover please email us at enquiries@unusualrisks.co.uk
Who are Unusual Risks?
We are the UK’s leading specialists at placing HIV Life Insurance , HIV Income Protection & HIV Critical Illness Cover. Chris Morgan, our lead financial adviser, led a decade long campaign to secure Life Insurance for the HIV Community and has been advising the HIV Community for over twenty five years.
He was responsible for the removal of the “Gay Question” from Life Insurance policies in 2005 and was part of the working group that designed and introduced HIV life Insurance products in 2009. More recently, in 2017, Chris has co-written the Industry best practice and consumer guide.
Currently Chris is campaigning for equality with regards to Life Insurance, Income Protection and Critical Illness Cover for the HIV Community. He is a well known advocate, activist and campaigner on Insurance issues, who undertakes regular speaking engagements on HIV Insurance issues.
He has recently succeeded in securing Co-Risk Life Insurance products for the HIV Community, which means that people who have been declined for cover for over two decades can now apply for Life Insurance Cover.
Chris Morgan is a fully qualified Financial Adviser and has been writing on HIV Insurance and HIV Finance issues for over 24 years. His column has previously been resident for publications such as Baseline Magazine and Pink Paper.
For more information about HIV & Hepatitis Insurance and Finance matters he may be contacted at Unusual Risks Mortgage & Insurance Services by phone 0845 474 3075. Email: Enquiries@unusualrisks.co.uk Web: www.unusualrisks.co.uk