HIV and "normal" lifespan

[Blixer]

I ran across this on the John Hopkins site posted by someone asking a question there and thought it was interesting:
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I'm 53, HIV+ since 1999, on Truvada/Sustiva since January 2005. Undetectable since April 2005, 600+ CD4. I'm eligible to retire based on 30 years of service to my employer. I have been researching lifetime annuities. In the insurance biz there is something called Medical Underwriting:

"If you have a medical condition - such as heart disease or diabetes - that might reduce your life expectancy, you may be eligible for Medical Underwriting. Under this provision, you could receive a "rated age," greater than your actual age, that could either increase your income payments or reduce the premium needed to generate specific payments.

I applied and the enrolment papers list 30 conditions that might result in a rated age including Alzheimer’s, cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, leukemia, Parkinson's stroke, etc.

BUT NO HIV!

Although I've read on this site many times that I have a chance of living a normal life span. I'm beginning to actually believe it now.

Joel Gallant's Reply was:
That's great, though I'm not sure that life insurance forms are the best place to get disease information. HIV really CAN shorten your life. The point is, it doesn't HAVE to.

[B99]

I sell annuities and the reason why it's not listed because they are insurance contracts.  Which normally means that they will not issue you the contract if you have HIV.

[Jeffreyj]

Food for thought: The Az Republic ran on story on me,,,I have been poz since 1984. She contacted the NIH who promptly informed her that those that were infected from 83' to 91' are bunched together, and that only 12 % of this group are still alive. Just thought you would like to know...don't know if this helps or not. Best of Luck, Jeff

[allanq]

With an annuity, you pay a certain up front amount (the premium) to the insurance company, and in return they give you a periodic income for as long as you live. From a strictly financial point of view, the insurance company would want you to die as soon as possible, so they would pay out as little as possible to you. When it comes to annuities, the sicker you are, the better it is for the insurance company. I think that an insurance company would be only too happy to issue an annuity to someone with HIV.

With a life insurance policy, the company wants you to live a very long life. With an annuity, the company wants you to live a short life.

Note that I'm talking about simple annuities, not some kind of insurance product that mixes an annuity with life insurance.

Insurance companies have it both ways. If you have HIV, they won't issue you a life insurance policy, presumably because you have a life-shortening condition. But they won't give you a break on the premium for an annuity, presumably because HIV is not a life-shortening condition.

Hmm....

Allan

[allanq]

Jeff,
That's a really sobering statistic. Having been infected in 1985, I feel very lucky to still be around. It also makes me sad to think of all the people I've known who didn't make it.

With the better drug regimens we have now, I think we all have a much better chance of living out a normal lifespan.

Allan

[HIVworker]

12% still alive. That's a full 5 years before HAART though. I wonder what the stats are now?

[blondbeauty]

Why do you want to live a "normal" lifespan? I want to live the best as possible but not for too long. Our society is unfair with old people. I don´t want to end alone in a retirement home with no family or a careless family which is even worse.
I prefer to die suddenly while walking down the street or in a plane accident. I would like a glass coffin like Snow-white.