What has changed for people with HIV
Modern HIV treatment works very well, and life insurance has caught up. A growing number of UK insurers will consider life cover for people who take their medicine and keep their viral load undetectable. Underwriters assess HIV as a long-term condition, much as they would any other.
Our advisers talk about HIV in a straightforward, confidential way. We only ask what the insurer needs to know, and your information goes to the insurer for underwriting and nowhere else. If you would rather talk it through before filling anything in, that is fine. Many people find a quick conversation makes the form far less daunting.
The details insurers ask for
Expect questions about when you were diagnosed and when you started treatment. The insurer wants your recent viral load and CD4 results, how long your viral load has been undetectable and how often you attend your HIV clinic.
They also ask about other health issues. Hepatitis B or C, past AIDS-defining illnesses, smoking and any history of injecting drugs all feed into the decision. Most insurers want a report from your HIV clinic or GP, so it helps to have recent results to hand.
- Date of diagnosis and start of treatment
- Your recent viral load and CD4 count
- How regularly you take medication and attend clinic
- Any hepatitis B or C
- Any past HIV-related illness
Terms you might be offered
If your viral load is undetectable, your CD4 count is healthy and you have no other complications, several insurers may offer life cover, usually with a premium loading. Some limit the length of the policy or the amount of cover. If you were diagnosed very recently or have not yet reached a stable undetectable level, an insurer may postpone.
Critical illness cover and income protection remain harder to arrange. A few insurers may consider them, sometimes with exclusions. Others will offer life cover only. We cannot promise any outcome, as each insurer applies its own rules.
Answering the HIV question
If you are HIV positive, the application will ask about it directly, and your clinic records will confirm your diagnosis and treatment. Answer accurately. A policy built on full answers is one your family can rely on.
If you take PrEP to prevent HIV, answer any question about medication as it is written. Ask your adviser if you are unsure how a particular insurer words its questions. Some applications also ask about sexual health clinic visits or other infections. Read each question carefully and answer only what it asks, and we can help with the wording if anything is unclear.
How Hi Tomorrow helps people living with HIV
Only some insurers on our panel will consider HIV, and their criteria differ. We know which ones are most open, what results they look for and how they word their offers, so you apply where you have a real chance.
We help gather your clinic results, keep the process discreet and explain the offer before you accept it. If you are not able to get cover yet, we will tell you what might change that, such as a longer spell with an undetectable viral load, and get back in touch when the time is right.