Life Insurance with HIV

Can you get life insurance with HIV?

Yes – in certain cases it is possible to get life insurance if you have been diagnosed with HIV. If you apply for HIV life insurance the provider will want to know about:

• Your CD4 count
• Your most recent viral loading reading (this will need to be in the last 12 months)
• The date of your diagnosis
• Whether there’s any history of Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C.

An insurer will also want to know about any previous drug use. If you have ever injected yourself with non-prescription drugs, then you normally won’t be able to obtain life insurance. It may also be difficult to get cover if you have ever had an AIDS defining or related illness.

An insurer will request a report from your GP before making any decision concerning the cover.

It’s important to note that, even if your HIV is well controlled and your viral load is undetectable, you are still likely to pay a higher amount for your protection. Most insurers will increase your premium to reflect the fact that HIV is a high-risk condition – although the cost of HIV life insurance has come down in the last few years. 

Does life insurance cover HIV?

As covered above, it is possible to get life insurance if you have HIV, subject to a GP report and recent CD4 and viral loading readings.

Some providers will make a decision based on the term of the policy you request. This is slightly out of the ordinary as most life insurance policies are underwritten based on risk, not the term applied for.

While it may be possible to get HIV life insurance, HIV Critical Illness cover isn’t generally available. Similarly, it’s typically hard to find HIV income protection cover. 

It’s worth noting that the insurance industry is always evolving, and there have been improvements in HIV life insurance in the last few years. Whatever your situation, it can be beneficial to speak to one of our experts to find out what we’re able to do. 

What do life insurance blood tests detect?

In some cases, an insurer will require a blood test as part of their underwriting process.

For life insurance and related protection products, this is typically to measure things such as cholesterol (lipids), liver and kidney function, and blood sugar levels.

Specifically for HIV life insurance, a provider might want a blood test to check the amount of CD4 cells in your body. 

How do I get a life insurance policy with HIV?

Speaking to an expert is one of the best ways of getting the cover you’re looking for. HIV life insurance is a specialist area, and we have wide expertise helping people with a wide range of medical conditions to get the protection they need.

The insurance market is evolving all the time so there are certainly more options now than there were a few years ago. 

Speak to one of our specialists and we’ll help you establish whether you can get the cover you need. We’ll also work closely with the insurer to help you get the best rate for your cover.