Contrary to what you might think, you can obtain burial insurance if you are living with HIV or AIDS. No longer do you need to worry about your final expenses and burial costs.

The insurance industry has changed dramatically over the past decade. What used to be an automatic rejection is now a manageable application process with real options. Guaranteed issue policies don’t ask health questions. Simplified issue carriers evaluate your medication adherence and viral load. Some policies provide full coverage immediately, with no waiting periods.

The key is knowing which type of policy matches your current health status and which carriers actually approve HIV positive applicants. If you have AIDS, we have burial insurance options as well.

This guide walks you through every option available so you can secure coverage this week, not months from now. Additionally, burial insurance options are available for the very young (technically, age 0) all the way up to age 85. So, there are likely burial insurance options available to you.

Here is what we will discuss:

• What is Burial Insurance?
• Burial Insurance Options for People with HIV
• Burial Insurance Options for People with AIDS
• Special Life Insurance Options Available for People with HIV or AIDS
• How People with HIV or AIDS Apply for Burial Insurance
• Burial Insurance Mistakes People Make
• Frequently Asked Questions About Burial Insurance and HIV/AIDS
• Final Thoughts

Let’s jump in and discuss what burial insurance is.

What Is Burial Insurance?

You likely have a good idea of what burial insurance is. It is simply a life insurance policy with a small death benefit, usually between $5,000 to $25,000 in face amount. Just as the name suggests, burial insurance pays the death benefit to your beneficiaries so they can pay your funeral expenses, burial costs, and other end-of-life expenses (like medical bills or anything else). You may hear burial insurance called “final expense insurance”, “funeral insurance”, or “final expense life insurance”. These all mean the same thing.

Traditionally, burial insurance is a whole life insurance policy. The advantages of burial insurance include:

• no medical exam – you answer a simple health questionnaire
• your death benefit never decrease
• builds cash value
• your policy can’t be canceled as long as you pay the premiums
• premiums never increase
• the carrier pays the death benefit directly to your beneficiary (or a funeral home if allowed)

As mentioned, burial insurance applications require no medical exam. You just answer 10 to 15 health questions. Then, the carrier reviews your answers and application against medical claim data in the MIB and Milliman Intelliscript. If all checks out, you are approved. That is the extent of burial insurance underwriting. Carriers make most underwriting decisions within 48 hours. Simplicity, ease, and speed are the attributes of applying for burial insurance.

Most carriers offer burial insurance to adults aged 50 to 85; however, we work with many carriers that offer burial insurance for adults under age 50, and a few even at age 0.

Burial Insurance Options For People With HIV

A couple of burial insurance coverage options exist for people with HIV and AIDS. Simplified issue policies skip the exam, but they ask detailed health questions. Guaranteed issue policies ask nothing about your health and cannot deny you based on your HIV status.

Here’s how each one works for HIV positive applicants:

Simplified Issue Policies: No medical exam required, but you’ll answer 10 to 15 health questions. When a carrier approves you for a simplified issue policy, you receive an immediate (level) death benefit. Currently, only a few carriers we work with offer an immediate benefit to people with HIV, provided their viral load has been undetectable, and their CD4 count meets the minimum threshold.

Guaranteed Issue Policies: This is the more common burial insurance option for people with HIV. Zero health questions, zero medical exams, zero denials. Insurers cannot turn you down, no matter your HIV status, viral load, or health history. You apply, and the carrier approves and processes your policy.

The trade-off is a two-year waiting period, during which the policy only returns premiums plus interest if you pass away from illness or natural causes. After two years, full death benefit coverage kicks in. Accidental death is covered immediately. Rates are usually the highest, but the carrier approves and processes your application rather immediately.

Let’s give an example. Let’s say Jane has a guaranteed issue burial insurance policy. It has a death benefit of $25,000. She has had the policy for 1 year and paid $2,000 so far in premiums.

If she passes away in the first year from an illness, the life insurance company refunds her $2,000.

If she passes away from an accident in the first year, the company pays the $25,000.

Let’s say she passes away in 10 years. The company pays the $25,000.

What is the Right Choice for You?

The right choice depends on your current health markers and the urgency of your need for full coverage. If your viral load is undetectable and stable, simplified issue gives you the best balance of cost and speed. If you’ve faced complications or your diagnosis is recent, a guaranteed issue life insurance policy removes all barriers.

While most carriers market guaranteed issue life insurance to people over the age of 50, we work with a handful of carriers that offer guaranteed issue life insurance for younger people, even starting at age “0”.

If you would like to quote and see what guaranteed issue life insurance would cost, feel free to use the quoter below. Note: the quoter doesn’t include all the plans we work with, so it is best to contact us if you have specific questions.

Graded Benefit Life Insurance for People with HIV

Graded benefit life insurance is a subset of simplified issue life insurance. You still have to answer health questions. Graded benefit means your beneficiaries receive a percentage of the death benefit if you pass away during the waiting period.

For example, let’s say a carrier has a graded benefit of 10% of the death benefit in the first year, 70% in the second year, and 100% in the 3^rd year.

You purchase a $10,000 policy. Here’s what your beneficiaries receive if you pass away in the:

• 1^st year: $1,000
• 2^nd year: $7,000
• 3^rd year and beyond: $10,000

Just as with guaranteed issue life insurance, graded benefit plans cover accidental death immediately.

Sometimes, the cost of the guaranteed-issue life insurance coverage is less than that of a traditional graded benefit policy. We will always work in your best interest to find the right burial policy for you.

Burial Insurance Options for People with AIDS

If your HIV has progressed to an AIDS diagnosis, your insurance options become more limited but not impossible.

Most simplified issue carriers distinguish between HIV and AIDS in their underwriting guidelines. An AIDS diagnosis typically means you’ve experienced opportunistic infections, your CD4 count has dropped below 200, or you’ve had specific AIDS-defining conditions. In these cases, simplified issue policies will usually deny your application regardless of current viral load or treatment success.

Guaranteed issue policies become your primary option with an AIDS diagnosis. These policies don’t ask about HIV, AIDS, or any health conditions. Many companies offer guaranteed issue life insurance, even some that cater to younger people. The two-year waiting period applies, meaning if you pass away from illness or natural causes within the first two years, your beneficiaries receive premiums paid plus interest rather than the full death benefit.

In summary, if you have AIDS, we can help you obtain a guaranteed issue life insurance policy. Contact us if you have any questions.

Special Life Insurance Options for People with HIV or AIDS

We would be remiss if we did not review the other life insurance options available for people with HIV or AIDS. These below aren’t necessarily burial insurance options, but they are life insurance options that most people with HIV or AIDS would qualify for, subject to state and age limitations.

Guaranteed Issue Term Life Insurance

We are one of the few brokers that work with guaranteed issue term life insurance plans. Guaranteed‑issue term life works the same way as the whole life options above—it guarantees your approval. That means no health questions. You just apply, and you have life insurance.

These guaranteed issue term life insurance plans work well for younger people with HIV or AIDS. The life insurance companies that offer them don’t offer them to seniors over the age of 65. They also work well if the person is on Medicaid and/or receiving SSI. Term life insurance is generally not an asset/resource for Medicaid purposes. However, check with your state if you have questions. We can offer:

• $50,000 term to age 80 with a 6-month waiting period
• $75,000 term to age 75 with a 12-month waiting period
• $20,000 term to age 65 with a 12-month waiting period

As these are guaranteed issue plans, there’s no avoiding the waiting periods.

Almost Guaranteed Issue Whole Life Insurance

We also have “almost” guarantees issue whole life insurance. You can purchase up to $80,000 of whole life insurance with an immediate death benefit. The application contains 3 medical questions, none of which ask about HIV or AIDS. However, one of the questions asks if you have a life expectancy of 12 months or less. If you have AIDS and that is the case, unfortunately, this option is not available.

Funeral Trust

A funeral trust is not life insurance or burial insurance on its own. This trust pays funds directly to a funeral home. The trust holds a whole life insurance policy that you can fund by transferring assets. Anyone can establish a funeral trust, but people mainly use it to move assets quickly so they can qualify for Medicaid. Nevertheless, a funeral trust remains a viable option when you need to qualify for Medicaid quickly but still have countable assets standing in the way.

Group Life Insurance

If you work, group life insurance is a viable option, provided your employer offers it. Without getting into all the details, group life insurance is just how it sounds – a group (i.e., an employer) purchases a group life insurance plan and offers it to eligible employees.

The most common group life insurance offered is term life insurance. Many differences exist between group term life and individual term life. One of the main differences is that not all group term life insurance plans are “portable”. In other words, if you leave the company, you lose your term life insurance. Check with your HR department on the particulars of your group life plan. If your group plan allows portability, you will likely have to convert your term plan into a permanent plan, such as whole life or universal life. The advantage: a conversion typically guarantees approval at standard (healthy) rates.

How People with HIV or AIDS Apply for Burial Insurance

The application process moves faster when you have documentation ready before the first phone call.

Simplified issue carriers don’t require full medical records, but they verify the information you provide with prescription databases and sometimes a phone interview. If the details you give don’t match their records, the application stalls or gets denied. As mentioned earlier, guaranteed issue policies don’t require answering health questions. However, having basic information on hand still speeds up the process.

Here are some helpful tips when applying for burial insurance:

Current medication list: Generic and brand names of all antiretroviral therapy drugs you’re taking, plus dosages. Simplified issue underwriters specifically look for adherence to prescribed regimens. Know your current ART regimen, including whether you’re on a single-tablet regimen or multiple medications.

Date of HIV diagnosis: Month and year. Simplified issue applications are strengthened if you were diagnosed more than five years ago and have maintained stable treatment.

Most recent lab results: Viral load and CD4 count from your last doctor visit. You don’t need to submit these for guaranteed issue, but having them ready helps if the agent recommends trying a simplified issue policy first. Many insurance professionals recommend having lab results from the past six months available.

Treatment history documentation: Be prepared to provide information about your current medication regimen and any changes to your treatment plan in the past 12 to 24 months. Consistency in treatment is a key factor in simplified issue underwriting.

Doctor’s contact information: Name, clinic name, phone number. Simplified issue carriers call to confirm you’re under active care. Guaranteed issue policies skip this entirely.

Beneficiary details: Full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and relationship to you. Both simplified and guaranteed issue policies require this at application.

When you are ready, give us a call. Our application process is simple. Just:

1. contact us
2. Tell us your health conditions including if you have HIV or AIDS
3. We will see and discuss what you may qualify for based on your health conditions
4. You apply
5. You are approved

It is that simple.

What to Expect After You’re Approved

Your policy goes into effect the moment your first premium payment clears, but full coverage depends on the type of policy you bought.

Simplified issue policies provide full death benefit coverage immediately. If you pass away one week after approval, your beneficiary receives the entire face amount. Graded-benefit policies and guaranteed issue policies have a two-year graded benefit or waiting period. If you pass away from illness or natural causes within those two years, the policy pays a percentage of the death benefit or returns all premiums paid plus interest. If you pass away from an accident during that period, your beneficiary gets the full death benefit. After two years, full coverage applies regardless of the cause of death.

Your premium never increases as long as you keep paying. Burial insurance uses level premiums, meaning the monthly cost you’re quoted at approval stays the same for life. If you’re approved at $85 per month, that rate is locked in even if your health declines or you’re diagnosed with additional medical conditions later.

Policies are portable, meaning they stay active even if you move to another state or change jobs. You don’t need to reapply or notify the carrier unless your contact information, payment information, address, or beneficiary changes. Most carriers allow you to update your beneficiary anytime by submitting a change of beneficiary form online or by mail.

If you stop paying premiums, the policy lapses after a 30-day grace period. Some carriers offer reinstatement within six months if you pay all missed premiums plus interest, but simplified issue policies may require you to reapply and go through underwriting again. Guaranteed-issue policies are easier to reinstate because they require no health evaluation. However, you may have to restart the waiting period.

Burial Insurance Mistakes that People Can Make

As simple as applying for burial insurance is, people still make mistakes. Even guaranteed issue policies can be delayed or complicated if you make these errors during the application.

The biggest mistake is assuming all burial insurance works the same way and applying to the wrong type of carrier.

The second biggest mistake is volunteering more health information than the application asks for when applying for simplified issue policies. Simplified issue policies ask specific yes-or-no health-related questions. Answer exactly what’s asked and nothing more. Same with graded-benefit life insurance plans. Guaranteed issue policies ask no health questions, so there is no worry here.

5 “Don’ts” for People with HIV or AIDS When Applying for Burial Insurance

Don’t apply for coverage amounts you can’t afford. If you request $50,000 in coverage but your income only supports $15,000, you will have a very hard time paying for your policy, and it will ultimately lapse. Who does that help? No one benefits when a policy meant to help your family pay for your funeral falls short.  Burial insurance covers final expenses and funeral costs; it doesn’t replace income. A reasonable coverage amount falls between $10,000 and $25,000.  Funeral industry data shows the national median funeral cost reached $8,300 in 2023, making coverage in this range appropriate for final expense purposes.

Don’t skip doses of your medication before applying. Simplified issue carriers check prescription refill records through databases like Milliman IntelliScript. If your refill pattern shows gaps, they assume poor adherence and deny the application. Guaranteed issue policies don’t check this, but if you’re attempting simplified issue, consistent refills over the past 12 months are non-negotiable.

Don’t lie about other health conditions. Simplified issue applications ask about heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other diagnoses. If you answer no but the carrier finds contradicting records, they’ll deny the policy and flag your name in industry databases. This makes future applications with other carriers significantly harder. Be honest about everything except guaranteed issue applications that don’t ask.

Don’t confuse HIV with AIDS when answering application questions. Some simplified issue applications ask separately about HIV and AIDS. These are distinct diagnoses with different underwriting implications. If you have HIV but not AIDS, answer only the HIV question truthfully. If you’ve been diagnosed with AIDS, be aware that this will likely result in simplified issue denial, making guaranteed issue your best path forward.

Don’t wait until a health crisis to apply. If you’re hospitalized or your viral load becomes detectable, simplified issue carriers will postpone or deny your application. Guaranteed issue will still approve you, but if you pass away within the two-year waiting period due to illness or natural causes, your beneficiaries will only receive a refund of premiums. Apply when you’re stable, not when your health is declining.

Frequently Asked Questions About Burial Insurance and HIV / AIDS

We answer frequently asked questions about burial insurance for people with HIV or AIDS.

Why do most burial insurance companies decline HIV or AIDS?

Most final‑expense carriers use simplified‑issue underwriting, which includes knockout questions. HIV and AIDS are almost always listed as automatic declines. Only a handful of carriers that we work with will accept people with HIV or AIDS, provided they qualify based on viral load, CD4 count, and other health conditions. Otherwise, guaranteed‑issue policies exist specifically to provide coverage when simplified‑issue plans are not available.

Are premiums higher for people with HIV?

Not necessarily. Premiums are not based on HIV status. They are higher because guaranteed‑issue policies accept everyone without underwriting. The cost reflects the policy type’s risk level, not the diagnosis. People with HIV or AIDS will pay higher premiums if they don’t qualify for the simplified issue plans or the other life insurance plans we outlined. Nevertheless, if you qualify for a guaranteed issue policy, we can structure it at an affordable rate.

Can’t I get traditional life insurance coverage like term life insurance?

Yes. If you have HIV and are in good health otherwise, yes, you can absolutely obtain traditional life insurance policies (link) like term life insurance or whole life policies. We have helped many people with HIV obtain high death benefit term life insurance and whole life insurance. Underwriting is more stringent, but not impossible. With the improvements in medicine and medical research, many life insurance companies now offer traditional term life and whole life insurance to people with HIV.

However, if you have AIDS, traditional policies are unavailable. Your best option is the guaranteed issue policies, as we outlined in the article.

How much burial insurance can someone with HIV or AIDS buy?

Most simplified issue and guaranteed‑issue carriers offer $2,000 to $25,000 in coverage. A few others offer a tad higher amounts. Applicants can also purchase multiple policies from different companies if they need more protection.

Can a guaranteed issue policy be denied for any reason?

Yes, but only for non‑medical reasons, such as:

• Age outside the carrier’s limits
• Living in a state where the product isn’t offered
• Payment method issues

Medical history is never a factor.

Will my family need to prove anything about my HIV or AIDS status when I pass away?

No. Claims require only a death certificate and standard claim forms. Cause of death does not affect payout after the waiting period.

Is it better to buy burial insurance sooner if I have HIV?

Yes! Buying earlier:

• Locks in lower premiums
• Starts the two‑year waiting period immediately (assuming a guaranteed issue life insurance policy)
• Ensures coverage before any future health changes

Now You Know How People With HIV Or AIDS Can Obtain Burial Insurance

Obtaining burial insurance with HIV or AIDS is no longer the obstacle it was a decade ago. The key is applying to the right type of carrier with the right documentation. Simplified issue gets you affordable rates if your health is stable. Guaranteed issue removes all barriers if you don’t meet simplified requirements. We also discussed other life insurance options for people with HIV or AIDS. Either way, your family doesn’t have to carry the financial weight of your final expenses.

Are you ready to learn your options and enroll in a plan? We definitely can help you, as we have with many people with HIV or AIDS. Contact us or use the form below.