The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy HARRTS (also called ARTS) over the past few years has now prolonged the lives of many people who are living with HIV. Meanwhile, insurance underwriters and Unusual Risk Insured Australia have worked together to design specialist life insurance services for people who have tested positive for HIV and who need life insurance protection for their partners, families and businesses.

• Eligibility for cover is usually for people with undetectable viral load (or very close to it) who have successfully been on treatment for at least 6 months. 

Great. If you already have a policy in place with no HIV or diabetes exclusions, it's probably worth keeping. Anyone who took out a life insurance policy before they tested positive to HIV or diabetes, should think very carefully – and seek our professional specialty advice – before they ever cancel it.

• If you took out a life insurance policy before you tested positive for HIV or diabetes, you are not usually required to inform your original insurer about any changes to your health.
• (And even if you do, they cannot change the existing policy or increase the premiums for that reason). In the event of the policyholder’s death, the life insurance policy would pay out as normal. (Unless the policy specifically states that HIV or diabetes diagnosis invalidates it).
• We have clients with old legacy life insurance policies still in place and we simply manage them for our clients so all their important insurance is under one roof and easier to administer if a claim were ever to happen.

If you have an older policy and want to know if its a keeper, get in touch for a confidential chat.

If you'd just feel more comfortable having a specialist professional adviser managing all your existing policies for you with privacy, respect and understanding, you might like to learn more about our Transfer and Manage My Existing Policy Service.

Keep the policy if it covers you. You can always take out an additional policy to cover any increased levels of risk that might have arisen since you first established your first policy.  For example, you may have increased your mortgage, had a change in your family responsibilities or simply now have someone special in your life to protect and provide for.