Why this is harder than standard underwriting
Until recently, HIV-positive applicants were broadly declined. Modern antiretroviral therapy has changed underwriting - but not at every carrier.
How we help
We work with carriers that now offer competitive coverage to HIV-positive applicants with undetectable viral loads and treatment-adherent histories.
What you can expect
- No-cost pre-screen with no impact on your insurability
- Carrier-by-carrier underwriting roadmap
- Guaranteed-issue and modified-benefit alternatives if needed
- Honest answers - no over-promising
- Coordination with your physician and medical records
Other complex situations we handle
- Life insurance for cancer survivorsCoverage for survivors of breast, prostate, colon, lung, and other cancers - including those with active follow-up surveillance.
- Life insurance for people with diabetesCoverage for Type 1, Type 2, and gestational diabetes - including insulin-dependent and controlled-by-diet profiles.
- Life insurance for heart attack and stroke survivorsCoverage following heart attack, stroke, CABG, stent placement, AFib, or controlled hypertension.
- Coverage for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and dialysis patientsLife and Medicare coverage for CKD stages 1-5, including dialysis recipients and transplant candidates.
- Insurance for organ transplant recipientsCoverage for kidney, liver, heart, and other organ transplant recipients.
Can Someone Living With HIV Buy Life Insurance?
Yes. This has changed a great deal in recent years. A handful of carriers now write real policies for people who take HIV medicine and keep the virus under control.
Most large insurers still say no. The ones that say yes want a treatment record they can trust. That means steady care, steady lab results, and steady refills.
The short version
An undetectable viral load and strong immune numbers open the most doors.
Offers are usually rated, meaning priced above standard, and terms can be capped.
Guaranteed issue coverage is available if traditional carriers decline.
What Do Underwriters Look At?
An underwriter decides whether a company insures you, and at what price. For HIV files the review is detailed, but it is also predictable.
What carriers review most closely
Viral load
Carriers want the amount of virus in your blood to be undetectable on recent tests.
CD4 count
This measures the immune cells HIV attacks. Higher and steady is what they want.
Time in treatment
A year or more of steady therapy is a common starting point.
Refill history
Pharmacy records show whether doses are taken on schedule. Gaps raise questions.
Regular care
Lab work every few months tells a stronger story than one recent test.
Other conditions
Hepatitis, kidney trouble, or substance use can change the offer.
Consistency beats perfection
One high reading inside a long, steady record rarely sinks an application. A pattern of missed visits is harder to explain. Bring the full history.
What Offers Are Realistic?
We do not post prices, since cost depends on your age, your file, and the carrier. What we can share is the shape of the outcomes.
Three common outcomes
Best available class
The strongest realistic result today.
- Typical profile
- Years of undetectable results and strong immune numbers.
- Coverage type
- Term or permanent, sometimes with a shorter term.
- Result
- Full coverage, priced better than most people expect.
Rated, meaning a higher price
The most common traditional result.
- Typical profile
- Good control with another health issue, or fewer years treated.
- Coverage type
- Term or permanent, often with a limit on the term.
- Result
- Full coverage above standard prices.
Guaranteed issue
A path if carriers decline.
- Typical profile
- A new diagnosis, treatment gaps, or other serious conditions.
- Coverage type
- A small whole life policy.
- Result
- A limited amount with an early waiting period.
Ask about term length
Some carriers cap HIV cases at shorter terms, such as ten or fifteen years. If you need coverage until a mortgage is paid off, say so early.
What Improves Your Offer?
Ways to strengthen your file
- 01
Keep every lab appointment
A long series of good results is the strongest evidence you have.
- 02
Refill on time
Pharmacy records are easy for carriers to read, and consistency speaks loudly.
- 03
Treat the rest of your health
Blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight all factor into the rating.
- 04
Stop tobacco
Smoking hurts an HIV file more than most. A tobacco class costs real money.
- 05
Ask for a letter
A note from your doctor confirming stable care can settle open questions.
Documents That Strengthen Your File
You do not need everything on day one. Bring what you have, and we can request the rest once you sign a release.
Before your first call
What to have ready
- Roughly when you were diagnosed and when treatment began.
- Your last two or three viral load and CD4 results, with dates.
- The names and doses of your current medicines.
- Your doctor's name, clinic, and phone number.
- Any hospital stays or serious infections in recent years.
- Past applications that were rated or turned down.
Your privacy is protected
Health records go only to the carriers reviewing your case, and only after you authorize the release in writing.
How Does an Independent Agent Shop Specialty Carriers?
Only a few companies underwrite HIV cases well, and their rules keep changing as treatment improves. An independent agency tracks those changes and knows where to knock.
Our approach
- 01
A private conversation
You share your history. Nothing gets filed and nothing gets reported.
- 02
A quiet pre-check
We present your case to underwriters without your name attached.
- 03
Answers side by side
You see who is interested, at what class, and what each carrier needs.
- 04
One well-built application
Filing only where the odds are good protects you from a formal decline.
- 05
A future review
Carrier rules keep improving. We recheck your options as years pass.
We are an independent agency at 2135 N Pami Circle in Orange, California. Meet us in person, by phone, or by video, and call (714) 922-0043 with questions. Start with our process, read about high risk life insurance, or contact us.
What Should Older Applicants Know About Medicare?
HIV medicines are among the costliest drugs in the country. If you are near 65, or on Medicare because of a disability, your drug plan choice deserves real attention.
- Part D is the drug side of Medicare. Check that every medicine you take sits on the plan's formulary, which is its list of covered drugs.
- Plans sort drugs into tiers, and tiers change each year. A plan that fit last year may not fit now.
- Part D now caps what you pay out of pocket each year for covered drugs, which helps with costly regimens.
- The standard Part B premium changes each year, and higher earners pay more.
- Advantage and Part D plans cannot deny you for health reasons. Medigap can ask health questions outside your open enrollment window.
Compare drug plans every fall
Check that your clinic and pharmacy are in the plan's network before you enroll.
See Part D basics or book an annual review so nothing slips.