Frequently asked questions FAQs

Applying for life insurance with HIV

Life insurance can offer you peace of mind and provide a financial safety net during the most challenging times. We provide a range of products designed to ensure financial security in the event of death, critical illness, and disability caused by injury, or major illness.

When you apply for cover, we’ll consider your occupation, lifestyle, leisure activities and medical history to decide whether (and on what terms and conditions) insurance can be offered to you. We assess all applications for comprehensive life insurance the same way for everyone who applies. When we ask personal questions, we will try our best to ensure you feel comfortable and safe. Our industry has strict rules in place to protect you through the application process.

Can I get life insurance if I’m HIV positive?

If you’re living with HIV, you can apply for life insurance and be confident your application will be assessed. Advances in HIV treatment have improved the general health and life expectancy of people living with HIV, so the range of insurance products available is increasing.

What questions will I be asked when applying for life insurance?

When applying for life insurance with us, you’ll need to provide details about your health, medical history, occupation, employment status, income, high-risk hobbies, travel plans, and residency status. As part of the underwriting process, all applicants are asked about their HIV status. Specifically, we’ll ask whether you’ve ever tested positive for HIV or are currently awaiting test results. If you disclose a HIV positive status, we’ll ask for additional details about your diagnosis, treatment plan, viral load, and any related conditions. We don’t ask about your sexual orientation or personal relationships.

What happens if I disclose that I’m HIV positive?

If you tell us that you’re living with HIV we may request a medical report from your treating doctor. This report should include recent blood test results, CD4 count, viral load levels, and details of your treatment plan. If your test results are not up to date, we may ask you to complete a blood test, either through your doctor or a medical examiner of our choice.

What other information do I need to provide?

We require a complete picture of your medical history. This includes details about your height, weight, alcohol or recreational drug use, current and past medical conditions, treatments and any previous diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections.

While some of these questions may feel personal, they’re asked of all applicants seeking underwritten cover. Our goal is simply to gather the necessary information to assess any potential health risks.

What kinds of cover can I get and do any exclusions apply?

Depending on your health and the level of cover being applied for, we may offer Life Cover, Total and Permanent Disability, Critical Illness and Income Protection. The insurance may be subject to terms such as a higher premium (called loadings), a shorter-term policy, and/or exclusions. In certain scenarios, we may not be able to offer you cover at all.

For example, Critical Illness pays a benefit for medically or occupationally acquired HIV. If you disclose an HIV positive status, these events would be excluded from your policy, but you would be covered for a range of other critical illness events.

Note: The critical illness events of Bacterial Meningitis and Encephalitis have exclusions if they resulted due to a HIV infection.

Questions?

Your financial adviser can help you choose the insurance type that best suits your needs and provide support throughout the application process. Alternatively, you can reach out to us for assistance.

Useful resources

Please see below further resources on living with HIV.