Even if infected people have been medical advances that have patients' lives that helped to extend HIV, finding life insurance for HIV is not yet clear.
According to the latest statistics from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, the number of new HIV infections in the United States has reached 56 300 in 2006. The number of people with HIV / AIDS was 1.1 million euro, with 468,000 of those people living with AIDS. The U.S. Department of Healthand Human Services reported in 2007, acknowledged that the greatest number of new cases of HIV / AIDS diagnosis for people aged 40-44 to 15 per cent of all HIV / AIDS diagnosis that year.
Respectively. the use of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) or highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and protease inhibitors are a combination of other HIV drugs prolong the lives of people with HIV infection by slowing the disease progression of AIDS overt. A study by the National AIDSTreatment Advocacy Project in New York and the National ATHENA observational cohort study in February 2010 it was found that the average life expectancy of people with HIV for seven years (before 1995) to 24 years – if they follow the therapy as a treatment medical equipment. This includes those who take their medications regularly and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Ryan Pinney, director of brokerage and reduced quality of life at risk specialist Pinney Insurance Center Inc.Roseville, California, says, after the introduction of drug cocktails that HIV infection may have expected to live healthier.
"If you are suffering from HIV in the late 70s or early 80s, there is a death sentence. Today was the addition of anti-viral drugs, it is not for people with HIV and 20 years living in developed without the unusual condition of AIDS, "said Fin.
Whose Risk?
increased from 2004 to 2007, the number of HIV / AIDS diagnoses in menhave sex with men (MSM).
increases in the same timeline, the estimated number of HIV / AIDS diagnosis in adolescents and adult males and females infected with HIV because of high-risk heterosexual contact.
Cum represented MSM (53 percent) and persons exposed to diagnose high-risk heterosexual contact (32 percent), 85 percent of all cases of HIV / AIDS in 34 states in 2007.
Typically, 77 percent of adult males and adolescents were living with AIDS. Of104 560 female adults and adolescents living with AIDS, 66 percent were exposed through heterosexual contact.
Source: Department of Health and Human Services of the Member
If you have a strong forecast at the beginning of the disease, that is, you manage to keep your CD4 T cells above 500 cells for at least three years, chances are you will get a higher life expectancy. conducted in July 2008, a study by the University of Bordeaux, France found that HIV-positive men whoCD4 cell counts above 500 cells was an average of three years, mortality rates were identical to those of the general population. Unfortunately, in HIV-positive women, death rates can not compensate even after five years to maintain a count of 500 cells. In fact, HIV-positive women, compared with 2.4 percent mortality rate in the general population. Further investigations are pending that will help explain this phenomenon.
Pinney points out that for people who arethe disease at a young age, unlikely to receive a life insurance policy is higher. However, if you have lived longer with HIV, it might be easier to get a policy.
"The reason is that you have shown to maintain the disease," says Pinney.
Dr. Ann Hoven, Chief Medical Officer for the individual life division in Hartford, said insurers have considered the possibility of HIV, but there are still a number ofUnknown.
"The fundamental dilemma is that while life expectancy for a person with HIV is more than 20 years, those who are infected are young people," said Hoven. "The life expectancy of people with HIV is more like 40 and 50 years, and expect to live, most people in their 60 -., 70 and 80"
He added that it may be difficult to estimate the life expectancy of a person with HIV and put the premium on information that make up.
The data actually there yet, "he says." There are people who were resistant to infection when their immune system takes care of, and then there are others, are completely vulnerable to this disease seem to be. The results of the studies were carried out, data are not definitive since it provided an estimate of how long a person can live with this disease take. It 's very from case to case. "
Limited opportunities
When it comes to buying lifeinsurance>, people diagnosed with HIV, most will face higher premiums with an automatic expiration or huge.
"All you need to run one step ahead of the numbers when trying to write a policy for someone with HIV," said Hoven. "If you look at the numbers, the cost would be so that no one could buy astonomical [policy]."
"When you were diagnosed with HIV, get life insurance can be hard, but it is not unusual," said Pinney."You can be achieved if trade unions and insurance you get a group plan and as an employer, professional associations."
However, if you are HIV positive and try to get the life insurance companies alone, most insurance companies will refuse to sell a policy covers those companies that meet a "simplified" Living where we cover only some have been problems health. Even when applying for a simple political issue, itprobably necessary for HIV / AIDS questions to answer. Other, more traditional individual life insurer may also require you to take an HIV test.
"The request of the insurer of an HIV test, according to the state and the nominal value of the policy," said Kim McKeown, spokesman for the Society of Actuaries. "However, the subscription process is used to collect identifying information on medical grounds, and if the person under anti-viral drugs that are in the medical record, thisMay cause an insurer to request an HIV test. Even with the best medicines do people with HIV have reduced life expectancy, so the best possible information during the subscription process is of paramount importance. "
McKeown said that a point of view of the insurance company to ask the insured to do the HIV test is a potential really nothing more than asking someone to his family's health history, types of rules that take them every day, or if you smoke.
They areinsurance plan to obtain a simplified problem, have a limited amount of value, usually $ 150,000 to $ 250,000 for the high end of the spectrum.
reasonable option is to buy a "guaranteed issue" life insurance. When politics is considered a "guaranteed issue," This is the maximum amount of coverage allows an individual without medical evaluation. Anyone can buy a guaranteed issue plan, as it does not require a medical examination, but are usuallyNuts and bolts policy that only one death. The death benefit is usually $ 20,000 or less and if you die within the first two years after buying the policy, your loved ones could receive nothing.
There are also small group plans to take into account that essentially cover the employer's employees in key specialties of the plans of a company.
Pinney points out a situation where a group of partners in a society that requires a group plan guaranteed issue, would all elderly and junior partner in the firm. One person was HIV-positive and the group managed to negotiate a group policy that has provided more than one million dollars of life insurance for each person
Although it is clear that this method can work, Pinney says that because of the stigmatization of people with HIV, this is mainly the reason why many employees do not indicate this type of report to the employer.
As someone with HIV to be able to get a life> Insurance from an insurance company specializing in high-risk cases, it is certain that the benefit is likely to be classified with a very expensive policy. For example, a man of 40 years, HIV-positive obtain a $ 50,000 whole life policy, but he would pay a high annual premium of $ 2,600.
"There are a few companies, maybe three or four that offer policies for people with HIV," says Pinney. "What amounts to a guaranteed issue whole life policy with a gradualDeath or a performance that gradually increases with age levels and, finally, during the life of the policy. "
However, Pinney says that if you die during the first year, second or third policy, you can only get bonuses and dividends, with interest, other companies can not die of a certain percentage of the award, when during this period.
Will insurance cover HIV in the future?
Guaranteed Trust Life InsuranceCo., based in Glenview, Illinois, was the first insurer to offer "impaired risk" life insurance for HIV-positive. The company ended up selling the policy in 2004.
"One of the biggest problems with the pricing policy for HIV is to find a way to beat without a price," says Pinney. "At first to offer a product, be sure to find 50 extra pot of $ per $ 1,000 of insurance."
Pinney said recentlyparticipated in a conference of life insurance and putting the potential for HIV to large life insurance companies life insurance. Unlike HIV, other diseases such as cancer or heart disease for a long list of people with these conditions and to improve statistical data that can benefit from an insurer. Although HIV / AIDS since the early eighties, Pinney noted that actuarial science has not yet interfered with medical science.
"I do not see this type of productEntry into the market again in the near future, "said Pinney." Part of the problem is there are no mortality data available to provide an accurate price. I wondered a bit ', if the insurance company even remotely consider it enough. "
"If we want to solve social problems concering HIV and find the best way to cure the disease or a vaccine, I believe that if the situation changes," said Hoven. "I do not see what happens over the next five years, butWe are definitely closer to him. "
recommends that if you have been diagnosed HIV Hoven, and your employer offers life insurance, it is best to use it.
"You do not go through medical underwriting and premiums would be based on groups that people have a variety of different medical concerns also received," said Hoven. "Even when you retire, no longer afford the group policy, a whole life policy plans to be implemented."