Our thoughts

The news that a ‘second person’ (see later) has been cleared of HIV infection is a reminder that HIV infection is far from the death sentence it once was. It might also jog our industry’s collective conscience that many HIV-infected individuals are insurable risks and that protection cover might be found for more of them. The first person to become HIV-negative after having been infected was Timothy Brown, the so-called ‘Berlin patient’. Brown, an American citizen, was diagnosed with HIV in 1995 while studying in Berlin and began antiretroviral therapy. In 2006 he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia for…

There has been some pondering within the industry lately about smoking and e-cigarettes and whether the latter deserves more lenient treatment – specifically, should e-cigarette users (or ‘vapers’) be entitled to a reduction on the usual smoker premium surcharge? The dangers of smoking cigarettes, cigars and pipes are well known and well understood. On the face of it, vaping is safer since e-cigarettes deliver nicotine without the dangerous tars and other toxins found in tobacco smoke. However, there are concerns about the safety of the nicotine-containing liquid that is vaporised for inhalation to the lungs. Some individuals have suffered acute…