HIV Antibody Test Requirement

by Morchelle
(Pasig City)

morchelle@yahoo.com

I submitted & paid for a VUL application for a 51-yr-old male client. (P500T coverage and P500T CI)
Client is in good health and accomplished all questionnaire in all honesty and good faith. After 1 day, the insurance company downright required him to submit an HIV Antibody test. Client is gay but isn’t this a form of discrimination? I am aware of the rules on HIV test under the I.C. but does it follow that if a person is gay he needs HIV testing? Pls enlighten me as I dont know how to tell this to my client.
Thank you.

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H.I.V. test
by: Ted

Morchelle;

Ted Wolk here,

RE: your below question.

I submitted & paid for a VUL application for a 51-yr-old male client. (P500T coverage and P500T CI). Client is in good health and accomplished all questionnaire in all honesty and good faith. After 1 day, the insurance company downright required him to submit an HIV Antibody test. Client is gay but isn’t this a form of discrimination? I am aware of the rules on HIV test under the I.C. but does it follow that if a person is gay he needs HIV testing? Pls enlighten me as I dont know how to tell this to my client.
Thank you.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Part of being in the insurance business is being honest and upfront with people. You are not an underwriter. All you can do is take an application and submit it. We never know what the insurance company may have found to ask for this test. but there is a reason.

I can not tell you how many people lied to me over the years to try and get an insurance policy when they found out they were sick. That is why insurance companies have underwriters.

In this instance, all I would do is be upfront and call the person and tell him that you just relieved a notification from your home office that they are asking for a HIV test. Explain that this is not unusual and it just part of the underwriting procedure.

If he challenges you on why and suggests any discrimination, then just tell him that he will have to contact the home office about that and that you are just the agent of record and all you do is submit life insurance applications and its up to them to process the application and you are not privy to why they want this.

I also would make sure that you did not miss the fact that when submitting an application on gay people that the company may have required that test when writing an application. If so, you can just tell him it was something you missed.

Personally, it is nothing to be worried about, He knows he is gay, he also knows the issues associated with that life style. Just like anyone who has a pilots license, they have to fill out an aviation questionnaire.

Hope this helps.

Ted

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