Most Common FAQ faq about hiv faq about PrEP faq about diabetes FAQ

  • During an application will I be asked if I am HIV positrive

    Will they ask me if I'm HIV positive?

    Yes - everyone gets asked that same question now anyway.

    • Insurers now ask all applicants if they have ever tested positive for HIV, AIDS, Hepatitis B or C or if you are awaiting the test results for the same.

    If you are applying for a particularly large level of insurance cover, eg: $1,000,000 or more, all applicants (regardless of medical status) will usually be required to undergo a blood test for HIV and cholesterol as standard practice.

  • During an insurance application, will I be asked if I'm Bisexual?

    During a life insurance application, will you ask me if I'm Bisexual?

    No.

    There have been significant reforms to the way gay, lesbian, bisexual, intersex people and trans folk are treated by insurance companies.

    • It is no longer acceptable for insurance companies to ask if a person applying for a policy is gay or bisexual and insurers will not ask questions about sexuality.

    Companies cannot make assumptions about a persons sexuality from the details of their living arrangements, occupation or medical history.

  • How can I pay my personal insurance premiums?

    What's the difference between Life Insurance and Life Insurance products?

    Life insurance is part of the personal insurance industry and life insurance products are similar products like Income Protection insurance, Crisis or Trauma Recivery insurance, Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) Insurance, Children Crisis insurance and alike.

    They are all concerned about protecting people; not things.

  • How do I get in contact with unusualrisks.com.au?

    How do I get in contact with unusualrisks.com.au?

    Simple. Just get in touch by emailor give us a call and we’ll arrange a time to chat further with you.

  • How do I prepare for an insurance application with unusualrisks.com.au?

    How do I prepare for an insurance application with unusualrisks.com.au?

    You will need the following information close to hand:

    1. Your GP’s name, address and full contact details.
    2. The common names and doses of any medications that you might be taking.
    3. The approximate date and reason for your last medical appointment, who it was with and the outcome eg: '6 months ago in September, I went to my local GP for a flu shot and some sinus medications I took twice daily for 4 weeks. etc.'
    4. The results from any medical tests eg: blood pressure or cholesterol results.
    5. Details of your medical history eg: the approximate date you were diagnosed with a particular medical condition if you have had extended time off work because of it etc.

    It’s a good idea to keep a Health Diary of important dates, tests, current medications or results that are significant for you.

  • How does a persons weight effect a life insurance application?

    How does a person's weight affect a life insurance application?

    A person’s weight is an important factor in a life insurance assessment. A Life Insurance company will use a Body Mass Index (‘BMI’) as a key measurement of general good health in insurance underwriting.

    • Simply put, an overweight person usually pays higher insurance premiums than a person at a healthy weight, and an obese person will have higher premiums than an overweight person.
    • Usually a BMI of up to 35 is considered typical. Once a person’s BMI reaches 39 or more, a medical exam will be required together with an MBA20 and HbA1c blood test.

    BMI is less of a health issue at older ages whereas the same elevated BMI level may be more concerning at a younger age.

  • How long does a formal Life Insurance application take?

    How long does the formal Life Insurance application take?

    About 20 – 30 minutes depending upon the level of detail needed. But you can help and collect the results of your blood work ahead of time, which will speed up the process.  And by authorising us to use that information in a formal application, the application process becomes super fast.

  • How long does it take for you to get all the medical reports collected?

    How long does it take for you to get all the medical reports collected?

    This is the longest part of the process and can take a few weeks or more, depending on how busy your doctors are and how many doctors you are using.

    The good news is we're really good at this and use a dedicated medical information collection service to manage this process for us.

  • How long does the online health pre-assessment take?

    How long does the online health pre-assessment take?

    The online Medical pre-assessment takes most people about 60 seconds, depending upon the level of detail needed.

  • I am part of a serodiscordant relationship – can my partner get the same high quality life insurance services from you as well at the same time as myself?

    I am part of a *Serodiscordant relationship – can my partner get the same high-quality life insurance services from you as well at the same time as myself?

    Absolutely! The clever people behind unusualriks.com.au run a complete financial advisory practice and provide all our services under the parent company name Sapience Financial. We have a range of standard & specialty clients.

    • Over the last 20 years, Sapience specialty clients have established in excess of $30,000,000 insurance cover and received over $5,000,000 in insurance claim payments.

    You're welcomed into our family, regardless of gender, sexuality or diagnosis.

    (*Serodiscordant is sometimes referred to as a mixed-status relationship and is usually one where one partner is not HIV positive)

  • I have a 10 Session Counselling Plan from my GP. Does this stop me getting life insurance?

    I have a 10 Session Counselling Plan from my GP. Does this automatically stop me getting life insurance?

    No. A counselling plan (talk therapy) for a specific set of circumstances might not include a mental health diagnosis. Each person's personal situation and environment is different. This is why you need to work with a specialist risk insurance adviser to help find the right life insurance provider and product for you and your very personal circumstances for the best chance at getting cover in place.

  • I've previously had a diabetic coma, can I still qualify for life insurance?

    What if I’d previously had a diabetic coma, can I still qualify for life insurance?

    This type of event is seen as a complication to a pre-existing condition and would raise some additional questions about health management, but is best seen in the light of the surrounding circumstances. 
    For example, you might have had this event as a child. For younger people, this could be more difficult to work with but it would need to be assessed on a case by case basis- and that's our skill.

  • I’m not Out so is that an issue?

    I’m not Out so is that an issue?

    No. Never an issue.

    Life insurance is about data and statistics. It has nothing to do with sexuality, gender expression, lifestyle, identification with a lifestyle, labels or tags.

    • We don't ask about sexuality identification and nor should anyone.
    • Not all people and not all partners identify in traditional ways (whatever that is)
    • Not all people and not all partners want to be Out and that is always their choice.

    We believe all people should always be respected; regardless of who they love or how they identify (or don't).

    The team at unusualrisks.com.au believe it's always the individual who matters more than all of that put together.

  • Is a life insurance application re-assessed each year like car insurance?

    Is a life insurance application assessed each year like car insurance?

    No.  An application for personal insurance is assessed once and then the policy is issued. It's yours for the life of the product. Because it is assessed only once, it can’t be forcibly changed on you.

    • Personal Insurance policies are guaranteed renewable. (As long as you pay the premiums, the policy is yours to keep regardless of any change in your health, your occupation or health status). That's complete peace of mind.
    • General Insurance policies usually have to be re-issued every year. Because they usually only last a year, they have to be re-applied and re-assessed annually too. This means that as your situation changes, you may no longer qualify to be insured with one of these general insurance products.

    The sooner you get your personal insurance in place, we believe the better off you'll be.

  • Is Telemarketer direct insurance good for pre-existing medical conditions?

  • Is there a waiting period before life insurance becomes effective?

    Is there a waiting period before life insurance becomes effective?

    No, not when you use our services. While your application is being processed, you are usually covered by a level of interim insurance. You should refer to the individual insurance companies PDS for more details about that option.

    If you are using a telemarketer to buy life insurance you may not be covered for the first 5 years so you need to read all the fine print when dealing directly with an insurance company. We believe the safest option is to use a professional non-aligned insurance adviser to look after you rather than risk it.

  • Life insurance and HIV - how is that now possible?

    Life Insurance and HIV- how the impossible became possible

    Back 'in the day' (ok in the not so distant 1980's) it was impossible to get Life Insurance for someone who had tested positive for HIV.  This was because life insurance companies simply deemed the risk of a policyholder dying abnormally quickly, too high.

    Add to this, the fact there was so little statistical date available about treatments, life expectancy increases and medical breakthroughs, the insurance actuarial community didn't want to know about it.

    This stance by the life insurance industry had two major effects:

    • not only did people living with HIV find it impossible to get life insurance, but
    • people who were at an increased risk of HIV were reluctant to have an HIV test in case it meant they would be 'turned down' for a future life insurance policy.

    The team behind unusualrisks.com.au decided to be the change they wanted to see if the financial services community and have now designed a framework that helps people living with well managed HIV get their life insurance needs sorted.

  • My partner is HIV negative. What is the process for them getting standard insurance cover through you?

    My partner is HIV negative so what is the process for them getting standard insurance cover through you?

    No worries. We believe in looking after those who look after you.

    • For friends, family and supporters who need standard life insurance cover, the process is the same, just no need for a pre-assessment.

    In today's modern families we believe nobody should miss out.

  • My partner is not a diabetic and needs insurance too - can you help them at the same time as you help me?

    My partner is not a diabetic, can you help them at the same time as you help me?

    We sure can. We believe in looking after those who look after you. The process is much the same, just no online pre-assessment is needed. 

    For friends, family and supporters who want standard life insurance cover, the application process is the same, and there is no need for a pre-assessment.

    Just send us an email and we'll organise the rest.

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

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

    We sure can. We believe in looking after those who look after you. The process is much the same, just no online pre-assessment is needed.

    For friends, family and supporters who want standard life insurance cover, the application process is the same, and there is no need for a pre-assessment.

    Just send us an email and we'll organise the rest.

About Us

Unusual Risks Insured provides support to those people who big insurance companies leave behind. We believe in giving every person the power to use life insurance products to protect & provide for their loved ones, their businesses, and their legacy — free from barriers of stigma and discrimination.

We know, as an LGBTQIA+ person (or someone who goes without labels entirely), you probably have specific financial advice, life insurance, and privacy needs.

  • We're committed to serving the LGBTQIA+ Community and its Allies.
  • For us, it's about change leadership and #AdviceEquality.

Why not make us part of your story, so if the unexpected happens to you or whoever is family to you, you'll have a backup plan in place to help you financially recover and life can still get better for somebody you love.

#LoveTakesAction  #AdviceEquality  #PrideInAdvice

contact drew browne advisor sapience financial

Drew Browne, Senior Advisor

Contact Us

Working Online & serving Australia Wide
from George St Sydney, NSW, Australia.
[ Gadigal Land ] & [ Darug Country ]

Say Hello! unusualrisks.com.au

Phone: 1300 137 403
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