Life Insurance and HIV: Background
Life Insurance and HIV: BackgroundAccording to the Government of Canada there are approximately 71,300 people who lives with HIV infection in Canada (at the end of 2011). Men continue to be the group most affected by HIV/AIDS: 76.7%. Women as a group account for approximately 23.2% of cases.
A typical question that many people ask is “Can you get life insurance with HIV”? Well, getting a life insurance policy can be quite complicated if you have a serious precondition such as HIV and not all life insurance policies are available for you. Generally, people with HIV / AIDS can not apply for standard or, also called, traditional life insurance but there are a few other options available:
- Simplified Issue Life Insurance: This type of insurance has typically relatively high insurance premiums and the maximal insurance coverage varies between $50,000 and $300,000. Usually, you need to complete a short medical questionnaire but no medical tests are required when purchasing this insurance.
- Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance: This type of insurance has the highest insurance rates and the maximal insurance coverage is not higher than $25,000. Medical tests and questions are not required and so everybody qualifies regardless of preconditions.
Important to know: A Simplified Issue Life Insurance insurance policy comes either with immediate payouts (your claim will be paid even if you die directly after buying a policy) or deferred payouts (your claim will not be paid if a death occurs within initial 1-2 years (timing depends on the policy).
Life Insurance with HIV: What matters?
There are many questions that insurance companies ask applicants to qualify them for a life insurance policy. Typically there is a main question that either “opens” or “closes” the path to particular life insurance policies if you have a precondition. Please find below this question but also an overview of answers and what it would mean for you. Please consider that risk assessment (also called underwriting) often varies from insurer to insurer and thus the information below is for your general guidance only.
| Precondition | Key question | Your reply | You would typically qualify for... | Maximal coverage possible | More |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HIV | How advanced is the disease and is the applicant undergoing medical treatment? | Less advanced stage, applicant is able to work and also receives treatment. | You can often qualify for simplified issue life insurance. | $50,000 - $300,000 | Get a quote |
| More advanced stage, applicant might need care. | You can qualify only for guaranteed issue life insurance. | Up to $25,000 | Get a quote | ||
| Tip: | - When deciding to go with simplified issue life insurance it is important to know that it can come in the form of insurance with immediate or deferred benefits. The latter is similar to guaranteed issue life insurance which typically comes with a 24 month waiting time (i.e. if an applicant dies within the first two years, no claims will be paid). | ||||
| Find out more: | Read more about Life Insurance for HIV cases | ||||
If you are interested in getting a free quote for Life Insurance with HIV or simply want to discuss your situation with an insurance expert and get unbiased advice, please, complete a form below.
Life Insurance with preconditions: Summary
An overview below provides a visual overview of various life insurance policies. It also explains what insurance types are available to you, if you have a serious precondition. Any other question left? Please feel free to connect with an insurance professional to discuss your situation in details.
