2016 International Candlelight Memorial Day Australia – we remember our friends

In the 1980s and early 1990s, many young Australian's died due to AIDS-related illness. Memorial services for their families and friends were common.

Since the arrival of life-saving treatments, people living with HIV can now experience a long life. As a result, memorial services have slowly been reduced as life expectancies have increased.

Can I take out Income Protection insurance if I have been diagnosed with well managed HIV?

Can you help me apply for life insurance if I have an HIV and diabetes diagnosis?

Where did you first start treatments?

For people living with HIV this is now a new important question asked in a Life Insurance application.

This year 2023, will mark 42 years since the first five cases of persons with pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in Los Angeles, California – which later became known as GRID, then AIDS – were officially reported to health authorities.

Later it was discovered HIV is the virus that causes acquired AIDS, and so began the medical quest to stop HIV replication from person to person that continues today.

Meet George - logistics co-ordination ninja

He spends most of his work day chasing boxes, deadlines and freight companies running late. His partner is the love of his life (and drives him crazy at times). George has a stepdaughter who he adores and a well-earned reputation as a bit of Weekend DIY Tragic, relentlessly renovating his townhouse.

George’s shift-work is often unpredictable, so living closer to work and cafes makes his life easier.

Lately, here's been thinking about the hard emotional decision, How much is enough?

Stigma and discrimination undermine more than just HIV prevention and treatments

Australia's known the world over as the lucky country and our unrestricted access to financial services such as life insurance is something that most Australians simply take for granted.

Meet Jennifer and Amber - partners for life.

Jennifer has spent the last 8 years climbing the corporate ladder in a busy city law firm and was made senior associate last Christmas. Her obsessive attention to detail means she's particularly good at what she does but the possibility of having to work through the fine print details of a life insurance policy is not something she's looking forward to.

Meet John and David - first homeowners with their Life Insurance sorted and living with HIV.

They’re about to sign the contracts on their new home, and it’s an exciting and stretching time, regardless of the interest rate

Basic Eligibility

If you're living with well-managed HIV and are wondering if you can get high-quality life insurance cover, the simple answer is now 'Yes!'

Eligibility will always depend upon a person being on treatment like Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAARTS) and having an undetectable viral load (or being very close to undetectable) with no associated related multiple disorders.

Understanding undetectable viral load

The term undetectable viral load appears everywhere from lab reports and medical journals to social media and life insurance questionnaires. Here are some key terms and concepts to help people understand and explore what 'undetectable' means.

HIV

• HIV hijacks cells in your immune system and uses them to replicate (make more copies of itself), destroying those cells in the process. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.

Viral load

• Viral load refers to how many copies of HIV are present in a millilitre sample of blood.
• Viral load testing is a way to estimate how much HIV is in the blood. It's used to monitor immune function and see how well HIV treatment is working.

Why you need a specialist adviser to help you get life insurance

In reality, someone living with HIV is still more likely to be turned down for life insurance by mainstream insurers than someone who doesn't have this condition. If you are offered cover, you'll pay about the same premium as other people with pre-existing conditions such as cancer, certain kinds of heart conditions or smokers.

Below are the current good case and best case criteria for a person living with well-managed HIV who we can help.

Good case scenario

1. Diagnosed HIV+ diagnosis more than 3 years ago
2. You have received Highly Active Anti-retroviral treatment (HAARTS) since diagnosis
3. Your viral load is currently undetectable and you have no history of AIDS-defining illness
4. Your CD4 lymphocyte count is in the normal range.
5. You have no history of Hepatitis C and no history of IV drug use

Best chance scenario

1. You were diagnosed between the ages of 20-39
2. Your viral load was low at the time of diagnosis.
3. You have been HIV + for 5 or more years and have kept to your treatment plan.
4. Routine blood work, including kidney and liver functions, is stable and normal.
5. Your CD4 count was HIGH at the time of diagnosis.
6. Hep B surface antigen is negative.
7. You're a non-smoker.
8. You are currently practising safe-sex and/or are in a monogamous relationship.
9. You are not being treated for non-HIV STD's
10. You are free of early coronary artery disease or renal disease signs.

We give you the best chance of success

At Unusual Risks, we understand and track the detailed and ever-changing underwriting criteria and the medical requirements that insurers need to work with.

• We can present you in the most favourable light so that your chances of success are the highest.
• We use technology to help us anonymously pre-assess your medical position so that any potential difficulties can be dealt with without the need to identify you and create a permanent record that might influence a future application.
• By understanding your health position before you make any formal application, we know ahead of time with a high degree of certainty what the result of a formal life insurance application will be.

And we've been helping people just like you and their families and partners for over 20 years now.

My partner is not HIV positive; can you help them at the same time as you help me?

Breathe

If you're newly diagnosed, like many of our clients you might be scouring the internet to learn everything you can about your status.

A big step closer to making the impossible, possible

People living with HIV in Australia can now get full life insurance.

Many people in professional business use life insurance products but...

Meet Terry - a skilled fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) mining professional who looked for unusualrisks.com.au

Cheap tattoos changed his life.

'My name is Terry and I'm 37 and I married my childhood sweetheart. A few years ago we decided as a family that the only way we could get ahead and save a big deposit for a house, was for me to go work in the remote mines of Western Australia or Northern Queensland. The plan was to work hard for 5 or 6 years and use my high income to save a healthy deposit'.

Why we see our clients as the heroes of our brand

Unusual Risks Insured is a proud purpose-driven brand that celebrates the success of its clients.

The Story of Patricia Kennedy, OAM

A Grandmothers Fight to do What's Right - Battling HIV Stigma in Australia

• Hear how Mrs Patricia Kennedy, an Australian Scottish born Grandmother, remembers the 1980's and the arrival of HIV & AIDS to Australia
• A shocking and yet compelling interview for people who want to know the truth about a dark time in Australia's brief history, so we can learn how not to repeat the mistakes of the past on our young people today

Important life insurance eligibility update for positive people

Good news. You no longer need to have an undetectable viral load to be eligible for life insurance.