cruisey

Apparently as part of the application for permanent residency in Australia, I will have to have a full medical including a HIV test. I know in the UK if you have had this test it can cause problems when applying for life insurance.

Will this cause issues when trying to obtain life insurance in Australia? Surely if every immigrant has to have this then they will cater for it? Does anyone have any comments or advice on the subject??

shaun/lor

i would think the whole point of an hiv test is if you test positive you wont get in. so you wont need life insurance over there?
shaun
or have i missread the question. are you saying if you have hiv test in uk, no matter what the outcome you have problems obtaining life insurance, new one on me
shaun

yvsie

Actually I was thinking about this today ...


Do they counsel you re HIV testing? ...because what if it is actually positive...god forbid...

If a patient comes to me ..practice nurse...and asks for a HIV test I always tell them that they need counselling first and that it's better to have it done anonymously.This is because if not it is then in their medical record and life assurance etc people ask for info like that...(although you do have to agree for them to access you records in the first place)if it's done in say... GU clinic then there is nothing in notes...we dont get notification at all...



Just a thought

newstartnz

Well I've had 3 HIV tests (all negative mind you) which were work and accident (requiring operation) related. My first overseas employer back in '88 made me get one as part of the final selection process then I had to get one again when I went to work in the Middle East. Plus the operation - hospital procedure was to test every patient. The tests have never figured in any insurance form questionnaire of mine and even if they did, I don't see how they could ever possibly check up on you if you were to omit mentioning the test, because the tests were all done privately and don't figure on my medical record.

cruisey

Sorry for any confusion. It's just I heard that if you have an HIV test (regardless of the result) insurance companies consider you a high risk and won't insure you. Maybe it just depends on the insurer? I've taken out a number of policies here in the UK and all of them have asked the question......

SiggyG

From what I could gather from my wife, who is also a nurse, it all depends on what the reason is for having the test. The insurance companies in Australia will obviously be aware the test is part of the procedure for entrance to Aus. If however you have two or three tests in the year following entry it would raise obvious questions.
As for counselling when we had our medicals we were given some counselling as to the meaning of HIV and the possible outcomes of the test prior to actually to taking the test from the Doctor.
Hope this helps guys.

Spinach88

When you have the medical done, nothing goes in your regular medical notes as the
doctor who does the medical and HIV test does not have access to those notes.

"yvsie" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Actually I was thinking about this today ...
    >
    >
    > Do they counsel you re HIV testing? ...because what if it is actually
    > positive...god forbid...
    >
    > If a patient comes to me ..practice nurse...and asks for a HIV test I always tell
    > them that they need counselling first and that it's better to have it done
    > anonymously.This is because if not it is then in their medical record and life
    > assurance etc people ask for info like that...(although you do have to agree for
    > them to access you records in the first place)if it's done in say... GU clinic then
    > there is nothing in notes...we dont get notification at all...
    >
    >
    >
    > Just a thought
    >
    >
    >
    > --
    > Yvonne
    >
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

yvsie

Spinach...I know that, I was just telling you all from a practice nurse's point of view.

Im glad these medical dr's do actually discuss the implications of HIV, it would be considered poor practice if they didnt

Phil

It only affects life insurance if its positive. My sister had a test a couple of
years ago and when she applied for mortgage they asked about the test and as long as
it was negative it was no problem. If it was positive it would be the same as any
other terminal disease and you would be turned down.

Emily

"cruisey" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Apparently as part of the application for permanent residency in Australia, I will
    > have to have a full medical including a HIV test. I know in the UK if you have had
    > this test it can cause problems when applying for life insurance.
    >
    > Will this cause issues when trying to obtain life insurance in Australia? Surely if
    > every immigrant has to have this then they will cater for it? Does anyone have any
    > comments or advice on the subject??
    >
    >
    >
    > --

Thunder Ace

shaun/lor <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
    > i would think the whole point of an hiv test is if you test positive you wont get
    > in. so you wont need life insurance over there? shaun or have i missread the
    > question. are you saying if you have hiv test in uk, no matter what the outcome you
    > have problems obtaining life insurance, new one on me shaun

Being HIV positive is not an automatic bar to entry. Such cases are decided upon
likely cost of treatment. The only automatic bar to entry is Tuberculosis.

As for life assurance companies, the question on the application form usually askes
if you have ever had a HIV test, not whether you actually have the condition. This
could be seen as discriminatory because a decision might be taken by the assurance
company based on assumptions about the reasons for having taken the test. If you are
asked this question, it think it is perfectly reasonable to clarify why the test was
taken. Having said that, I don't believe that a HIV is mandatory, I certainly was not
told that this was part of my medical and therefore I can truthfully answer no if
asked the question.

Thunder Ace

    >
    >
    >
    > --

Lee

yvsie <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
    > Actually I was thinking about this today ...
    >
    >
    > Do they counsel you re HIV testing? ...because what if it is actually
    > positive...god forbid...

Hi - Somewhere on the medical forms it actually states that Doctors carrying out the
HIV test must ensure both pre and post testing counselling occurs! However, this is a
recent amendment (only included on the forms since May) and the doctor I went to June
in did not carry out any counselling whatsoever. When I went to collect the results I
was expecting to see the Doctor for the post counselling and to be informed of the
results. This didn't occur, I was handed my medical form sealed in a brown envelope.

    >
    > If a patient comes to me ..practice nurse...and asks for a HIV test I always tell
    > them that they need counselling first and that it's better to have it done
    > anonymously.This is because if not it is then in their medical record and life
    > assurance etc people ask for info like that...(although you do have to agree for
    > them to access you records in the first place)if it's done in say... GU clinic then
    > there is nothing in notes...we dont get notification at all...

The doctor who took my blood told me that if asked by an Insurance company if I have
ever had a HIV test, that I should answer yes. Which differs to the advice given by
GU clinics. I personally would not inform them that you had been tested, they have no
way of knowing! Besides if it is negative then they have no reason to know!
    >
    >
    >
    > Just a thought

Robert Edwards

The Form 1071i "Health Requirement for Permanent Entry to Australia" states:
Permanent visa applicants aged 15 or older will be required to take an HIV/AIDS test.
etc.......if you are found to be HIV positive etc etc.....the main factor taken into
account is the cost of the condition to the Australian community of health care and
community services. Standard pre and post test counselling must be provided by your
panel doctor.

"Lee" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > yvsie <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
    > > Actually I was thinking about this today ...
    > >
    > >
    > > Do they counsel you re HIV testing? ...because what if it is actually
    > > positive...god forbid...

dpr21

I've had 4 (3 for life insurance purposes in South Africa where they are required for any sizeable policy) and one in the UK for OZ medicals. Neither myself nor my wife who has had the same number had problems with insurance in SA or the UK. We merely stated that we had been tested but that it had been compulsory and this was accepted with no questions asked. We have yet to apply for Insurance here (Oz) but I doubt there will be a problem in this respect.

It appears as if as long as you indicate why you had them e.g. compulsory for life insurance/PR medical etc there is no problem. Anybody who merely goes along for an HIV test for 'no real reason' is considered a risk. Think about it - why would you have a test unless it was compulsory or you thought there was a risk, albeit small, that you had HIV/Aids?

cheers

dpr