Life insurance for people living with HIV in NZ
Financial advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). QuoteHub is a trading name.
Yes, people living with HIV in New Zealand can apply for life insurance, but what an insurer offers is decided case by case and we found none that publishes its terms. Some insurers ask about HIV status. Momentum's Quick Life, for ages 18 to 65, asks no health questions but for 2 years does not pay a death related to a condition you had before it began.
This page is about the practical questions: what the law says insurers may do, what honest disclosure means, and how the two Momentum products work. It is not about your health, and it makes no judgement. HIV is a medical condition, and insurance is a financial product with its own rules.
What the law says
Disability is a prohibited ground of discrimination under the Human Rights Act 1993, and the Act's list of what counts as disability ends with "the presence in the body of organisms capable of causing illness" (section 21(1)(h)(vii)). Section 48 then carves out insurance: different terms for people with a disability are not a breach if they rest on data or reputable advice it is reasonable to rely on, and are reasonable for the particular circumstances (Human Rights Act 1993, ss 21 and 48).
The Burnett Foundation Aotearoa, a New Zealand HIV charity, tells people who are thinking of applying for life insurance that some companies may ask about their HIV status, that some might refuse to insure someone living with HIV or who will not say, and that the Human Rights Act exceptions allow this. It suggests checking with the Human Rights Commission if you are unsure (Burnett Foundation Aotearoa: Living with HIV). So the position is mixed: an insurer may ask and may set different terms, but must have a reasoned basis. If you think an insurer has treated you unfairly, the Human Rights Commission can advise.
Disclosure: the duty to tell the truth
On cover with health questions, insurers rely on your answers. IFSO, the insurance disputes scheme, says the law obliges the person insured to disclose all material information, and its case notes show policies avoided or claims reduced when something relevant was left out (IFSO: non-disclosure). That applies to every condition, including HIV, if the question is asked. The practical rule is simple. If asked, answer truthfully and completely. If you are not willing to answer a question, a cover with health questions is not the right route. A policy bought on a false answer may not pay when it is needed.
Fidelity Life's underwriting guide shows that testing can be part of the process. Its higher evidence levels for larger amounts include an HIV test, and the same levels include other blood tests (Fidelity Life: underwriting guide). That is Fidelity's published process, and the guide is marked for adviser use. Other insurers set their own requirements, and an adviser can tell you what each one asks before you apply. We found no NZ insurer that publishes blood-test or viral-load criteria, so this page gives none.
From 15 November 2027 (not yet in force), the Contracts of Insurance Act 2024 replaces the current disclosure rules with a duty to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation. Answering honestly and carefully still matters under the new rules (Financial Markets Authority).
How Momentum's products treat a prior diagnosis
Neither Momentum product asks health questions. Acceptance does not depend on an HIV answer, because none is asked (Momentum Life: Quick Life policy wording, November 2025).
Quick Life covers ages 18 to 65, from $50,000 to $300,000 to start, and its stepped premiums rise each year until 75. For the first 2 years it does not pay for a death, or a terminal illness diagnosis, that is "directly or indirectly related" to suicide or intentional self-harm or to a pre-existing medical condition. A pre-existing condition is any illness, condition or symptoms in the 2 years before the policy started, including anything you had treatment or advice for. A diagnosed condition that you are being treated for falls within that. Illnesses related to it could also be treated as related. The wording does not list which, and the decision is made at claim time.
If a related death happens in the first 24 months and no claim is payable, premiums are refunded. An accidental death in that period is paid. After 2 years pre-existing conditions are covered, except for a few specific conditions that can be written as permanent exclusions in the policy schedule. The wording does not list them, so ask what your schedule would say before you pay.
Funeral Insurance, for ages 40 to 75, pays a fixed benefit of $3,000 to $30,000 towards costs. It asks no health questions and has no pre-existing-condition clause. For the first 24 months it pays only for accidental death within 90 days of the accident; any other death pays nothing and refunds all premiums for that person. After 24 months it pays for death from any cause. Total premiums can exceed the benefit, and it may not cover a whole funeral.
Which route fits which need
| Cover with health questions | Quick Life | Funeral Insurance | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asks about HIV | If the form asks, and tests may apply | No | No |
| Ages | Set by each insurer | 18 to 65 | 40 to 75 |
| Amount | Higher amounts possible | $50,000 to $300,000 to start | $3,000 to $30,000 |
| Early restriction | Per the terms offered | 2 years: related deaths and suicide not paid, premiums refunded | 24 months: accidental death only |
| What you give up | Time, tests and the chance of a loading, exclusion or decline | A wait before related deaths are covered | A small amount only, and a wait before illness is covered |
A licensed adviser can compare the routes on your facts. Asteron Life describes the options for an existing condition as adding a stand-down period, raising the premium, or excluding the condition permanently or for a set time (Asteron Life). Our page on guaranteed acceptance versus full medical cover compares the routes, and what guaranteed acceptance is explains the basics.
A note on privacy
Your health information is your own. Ask any adviser how they will hold and share it, and what goes to the insurer. QuoteHub's buttons on this page open Momentum's own application, where Quick Life asks no health questions. Please do not put health detail into a general enquiry form. See our disclosure page for who QuoteHub is and how it is paid.
About Momentum Life
Momentum Life Limited holds an A.M. Best rating of B (Fair), affirmed on 11 February 2026; Momentum's own scale places B in its "Vulnerable" range. The rating is not a recommendation. Read Momentum's financial strength page first. QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner, and Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission if you buy through our link (how we are paid).
The buttons on this page open Momentum's online application for Quick Life or Funeral Insurance. See also the two-year exclusion page and back to the guaranteed acceptance hub. This is general information, not advice.
Adviser's view
Some insurers ask about HIV status and the Human Rights Act lets them set different terms on reasoned data, so what you are offered on cover with health questions varies and we cannot predict it. Quick Life asks no health questions but does not pay for related deaths in the first 2 years, refunding premiums instead. Whichever route you take, never answer a question untruthfully.
Compare life cover with a licensed NZ adviser · free, no obligation.
Cite this page QuoteHub NZ (2026). Life Insurance With HIV NZ: Cover Options. www.quotehub.co.nz/guaranteed-acceptance/life-insurance-with-hiv-nz. Updated 2026-10-20.
References
- Human Rights Act 1993, sections 21 and 48 (legislation.govt.nz)
- Burnett Foundation Aotearoa: Living with HIV
- IFSO: Non-disclosure policy criteria not met (10 July 2025)
- Fidelity Life: Underwriting guide (October 2025)
- Financial Markets Authority: Contracts of Insurance Act 2024
- Momentum Life: Quick Life Insurance Policy Wording (November 2025)
- Momentum Life: Funeral Insurance Policy Wording (17 August 2023)
- Momentum Life: Financial strength
- Asteron Life: Insurance options for pre-existing conditions
Explore related pages: Life Insurance, Income Protection, Health Insurance, Trauma Insurance, Free Will.