The Association of British Insurers (ABI) today announced plans to set up a working group to advise on HIV-related issues.
The ABI said the group would aim to "enable insurers to assess all applications fairly on the basis of relevant and accurate information without intrusive or inappropriate questioning".
The insurance industry has been criticised in the past for asking invasive, irrelevant questions relating to lifestyle, requiring HIV tests, bumping up premiums and refusing to accept the validity of long-term relationships when assessing gay men's applications for life insurance.
The working group will look at areas such as the evidence of HIV risk, changing cultural attitudes, encouraging responsible behaviour, nurturing rational and respectful decision making and promoting fair risk assessment.
Aids charity the Terrence Higgins Trust and specialist gay finance website Pinkfinance.com have so far agreed to join the group. Other members will be announced later.
Announcing the plans, Richard Walsh, head of health at the ABI, said: "The insurance industry is committed to fairness and treating people with respect. This consultation exercise is about putting that commitment into practice.
"We have had some very useful feedback from member companies and a wide range of interested organisations. As a result we have refined our proposals and we are inviting comments on our suggested ways forward.
"We now feel that it would also be desirable to establish a permanent way of keeping these issues under review and propose to set up an expert working group to help the industry."
Chris Morgan, editor of Pinkfinance.com, said: "I'm very proud to have been invited to join the new ABI working group focussed on HIV and self-responsibility. The fact that the ABI wishes to form this group and appoint a gay man to consult on such sensitive issues is a sign that the industry is changing for the better."
Lisa Power, head of policy at the Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "THT, the ABI and other partners have worked hard to improve current practices around HIV risk with the insurance industry. We are particularly glad that the ABI has recognised the rapidity of change in this issue by setting up an ongoing advisory group. We hope that members of the insurance industry will take due notice of this work."
