HIV community is untapped protection market - Unusual Risks

The most unnecessarily underinsured group in the UK is the HIV community, according to specialist advisers Unusual Risks.

Research by the advisers through the Terence Higgins Trust, estimates that 82% of HIV positive people in the UK have no Life Assurance at all.

This compares to Swiss Re figures for the wider community of 52% who currently have no Life Cover.

Chris Morgan, Marketing Manager of Unusual Risks Mortgage & Insurance Services Says, "The HIV community were excluded from taking Life Assurance for many years and now that the product is available many are unaware it even exists.

"Many people living with HIV who had Life Assurance products in the past, such as endowments, surrendered them on diagnosis, or they decided to freeze their pensions which included Life Assurance, or cancelled their policies due to restrictive exclusions."

Over 50% of Life Assurance providers now offer cover to HIV Positive people with the price of cover varying according to age, date of diagnosis, time on medication, current CD4 count and viral load.

Two years ago only one product existed.

Unusual Risks noted that the need for Life Assurance in the HIV community has become more apparent over the last few years as higher CD4 counts and near non-detectable viral loads are leading to improved life expectancy amongst many HIV Positive people.