HIV Life Assurance, HIV Life Insurance and HIV Mortgage Blog

A message from our sponsors …

In 2005 the Association of British Insurers issued new guidelines which encouraged insurance companies to provide Life Assurance for people living with HIV.

It took a further four years for insurance companies to actually issue the first HIV Life Assurance policies, releasing HIV Positive people from discrimination that had existed for over a decade.

The HIV questions which now appear on applications were written by our Practice Manager Chris Morgan.

These ‘Equal’ question are now working fine on all life assurance applications. All people are required to answer the same HIV questions without any reference to their sexuality.

However, …

It has been brought to our attention recently that some HIV Positive people taking Life Assurance are being overcharged for their insurance.

We would very much like to hear from you if you are concerned about this issue and are concerned if you have been overcharged, or feel if you have been treated unfairly when applying for HIV Life Assurance.

We feel it is important to raise these issues with the industry, but need case examples to be able to help us understand the issue more and eventually challenge this unfairness.

Our Sponsors: Unusual Risks Mortgage & Insurance Services are advisers to the HIV community and can be contacted by phone 0845 474 3075, by email enquiries@unusualrisks.co.uk  or through their website at http://www.unusualrisks.co.uk/

HIV Life Assurance is taken out by people living with HIV to protect themselves in the event of death. Most HIV Life Assurance policies taken out are either Level Term Assurance or Decreasing Term Assurance plans.

Traditionally the UK Life Assurance Industry has not been very friendly towards HIV Positive people in the past. HIV people were excluded from taking Life Assurance right up until 2009 in the United Kingdom.

If you are HIV Positive and yourself in doubt when taking out Life Assurance, then seek advice.

Our Sponsors Unusual Risks Mortgage and Insurance Services are Mortgage and Insurance Advisers to the HIV Community and may be reached by phone 0845 474 3075, or by email enquiries@unusualrisks.co.uk

Their website may be found at  http://www.unusualrisks.co.uk/

Positive Finance the HIV finance magazine is appealing for HIV Positive people to come forward, who are worried about the premiums they are being charged for Life Assurance or  the treatment they  received when applying for the product.

It has been brought to their attention that some HIV Positive people may have been overchanged, or have not been treated fairly whilst taking out Life Assurance since the product was introduced.

Anyone concerned about these issues are asked to contact the editor of Positive Finance with their concerns by email editor@positivefinance.info Positive Finance are looking to raise the issue within the insurance industry very soon, but need your help to challenge any discrimination.

Positive Finance http://www.positive-finance.info/  is sponsored by Unusual Risks, The Medical Mortgage and Insurance Advisers who can be reached by visiting http://www.unusualrisks.co.uk/ or by phoning 0845 474 3075

Pink Finance re-Launch featured by the gay family website Pinke.biz

http://www.pinke.biz/news/6216/Pink_Finance_Relaunched

Visit Pink Finance or Pinke.biz to read Chris Morgan’s regular finance column featuring Gay Mortgages, Gay Life Assurance, HIV Mortgages and HIV Life Assurance.

Visit http://www.pinkfinance.co.uk/ or http://www.pinke.biz/

Pink Finance has been re-launched by our friends at Compass ……

Compass, the gay financial advisers are today re-launching Pink Finance the gay finance magazine as an online blog. The new online publication will once again be edited by Chris Morgan and be focused on improving the financial landscape for the gay community.

Pink Finance was originally introduced in 2000, as a response to the blatant discrimination faced by the gay community from the financial services industry. They have now decided to celebrate its anniversary by evolving it into a new format with new focus.

Visit http://www.pinkfinance.co.uk/ for the website and http://www.pink-finance.co.uk/ for the news blog.

Unusual Risks, the medical mortgage and insurance advisers have been enjoying support from the IFA website IFA Online for their HIV Life Assurance Survey.

Here’s a link to the story appearing on their website.

IFA Online

http://www.ifaonline.co.uk/cover/news/1900103/life-insurers-living-dark-ages-hiv-clients

Unusual Risks Mortgage and Insurance Services are specialists in HIV Mortgages and HIV Life Assurance. They can be contacted by phone: 0845 474 3075 or web: http://www.unusualrisks.co.uk/

Unusual Risks, the medical mortgage and insurance advisers have been enjoying support from the HIV Charity George House Trust for their HIV Life Assurance Survey.

Here’s a link to the story appearing on their website.

George House Trust

http://www.ght.org.uk/news/article/39085/24/11/2010/’Dark_Ages’_HIV_Life_Insurance

Unusual Risks Mortgage and Insurance Services are specialists in HIV Mortgages and HIV Life Assurance. They can be contacted by phone: 0845 474 3075 or web: http://www.unusualrisks.co.uk/

Unusual Risks, the medical mortgage and insurance advisers have been enjoying tremendous press coverage of their HIV Life Assurance survey.

Over the next few weeks we’ll be sharing some of the coverage highlighting the issues raised during the survey.

Here’s our first entry from the leading industry publication Money Marketing.

Money Marketing

http://www.moneymarketing.co.uk/adviser-news/adviser-slams-hiv-cover-rates/1022522.article

Unusual Risks Mortgage and Insurance Services are specialists in HIV Mortgages and HIV Life Assurance. They can be contacted by phone: 0845 474 3075 or web: http://www.unusualrisks.co.uk/

NAM Aids Map has recently launched a new publication called Social & Legal Issues For People With HIV. The publication includes a comprehensive HIV Personal Finance section written by Emma Lunn in consultation with our editor, Chris Morgan the UK’s leading HIV finance expert.

The publication includes information about HIV Mortgages, HIV Life Insurance and Gay Life Assurance.  There is also a section that includes details of developments surrounding HIV Life Assurance and the products being offered by Pru Protect / Prudential.

To order your copy visit.

http://www.aidsmap.com/resources/Social-and-legal-issues-for-people-with-HIV/page/1497492/

For information about our sponsors Unusual Risks Mortgage and Insurance Services visit  http://unusualrisks.co.uk or Compass Mortgage and Insurance Services visit www.compassindependent.co.uk

Compass, the gay financial advisers are very proud to announce the launch of a new insurance brand called ‘Unusual Risks’ that is specifically for people looking for insurance products in unusual circumstances. The service is specifically designed for those with pre-existing medical conditions, hazardous occupations and higher risk pastimes.

Unusual Risks will utilise Compass’s vast experience gained whilst providing financial products to the gay community and people living with HIV to assist people seeking insurance who have been diagnosed with medical conditions. By introducing a separate service the aim is to insure that people are offered focused advice and tailored products for their specialised needs.

Chris Morgan, Marketing Manager of Unusual Risks, Says

‘We are very proud to now be offering this new service for people with pre-existing medical conditions. Our advisers have found that insurance premiums and policy conditions can vary widely for people living with per existing illnesses. In many cases we have found people applying for insurance have been over charged, or offered terms which can be bettered elsewhere’.

Chris Continued,

‘Our aim is to insure that people are offered the fairest deal when applying for Insurance and Mortgage products. We promise to source products from the whole of the market and look at every possible option before recommending products to clients. It is our mission to fight for fairness for all people who need insurance products.’

We have great experience of finding Life Assurance, Income Protection and Critical Illness Cover for people with Asthma, Cancer, Depression, Diabetes, Family History, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, HIV, Overweight, Stress, Stroke, Ulcers. People with pre-existing medical conditions need specialist advice for their circumstances.

Unusual Risks are also promising to help people in hazardous occupations and higher risk pastimes such as Airline Pilots, Ambulance Drivers, Cabin Crew, Camera, Operators, Farmers, Fishermen, HGV lorry drivers, and those working at heights. Plus Pastimes abseiling, caving, hang gliding, mountaineering, parachuting, rock climbing, sailing, scuba diving, sky diving.

If you require more information on Unusual Risks Mortgage & Insurance Services  on 0845 474 3075, or email atEnquiries@unusualrisks.co.uk and on the web www.unusualrisks.co.uk