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NAPWA continues to fight for the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS
NAPWA Press Release, 19 August 2002
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As the delegates of the Summit converge in South Africa, NAPWA continues to fight for the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS.
The National Association of People living With HIV/AIDS (NAPWA) will be fully participating in the World Summit on Sustainable development. At the same time, our campaign for equal treatment of PWA's by the insurance and finance companies continue; secondly, we have declared Thursdays as picketing days in front of the insurance companies, forcing them to end the discrimination people living with HIV/AIDS and their families.
Insurance Companies Discriminate against PWAs
Insurance companies and finance institutions rely on the outcomes of very expensive research before introducing their products to the market. It is very unfortunate that most of their researchers have never been to the homes of the people in communities, because their research methodologies are academic rather than realistic. It is clear that the insurance companies in South Africa fully subscribe to the corporate sector and prioritise on profit before the lives of people.
The National Association of People living With HIV/AIDS (NAPWA), is continuously engaged in a series of picketing and sit-ins to force the insurance companies to put an end to discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS. The NAPWA National Aonference took a decision to build a PWA cadreship that will fight discrimination to the end. Since the 2nd of April 2002, we have exhausted a lot of resources and energies disturbing the smooth working in the insurance companies and finance institutions until such time that they succumb to our demands. We have come too far to stop now. How can we stop our campaign when most insurance companies follow these procedures when signing up people?
- One is asked to fill in an application form which includes a consent form for an HIV test and a pamphlet containing general information about HIV/AIDS. By signing this form, one not only consents to being tested but also confirms that one has read and understood the contents of the pamphlet.
- It is important for you to know that you have a right to pre-test, post-test and ongoing counselling that is private and confidential. Insurance companies have a duty to make sure that you understand what you agree to.
- If you agree, you will be asked to give details of the doctor to whom the results of the HIV/AIDS test will be sent. The test will be done by a doctor or laboratory chosen by the insurance company.
- The results of the test will be sent to the chief medical officer employed by the insurance company. He or she will open a file which will include all medical information relevant to your application, including the results of your test.
- If the results are positive, your doctor will be told in writing and your application will be rejected. Your name will be entered in a register secretly managed by the Life Offices Association of South Africa (LOA). This means that if you approach another insurance company for life cover, they will also reject your application because they have automatic access to all your medical records and files.
- If you find yourself in this predicament, you still have another option. If you own property, you can try to convince your bank manager to accept the property as security. You can also ask someone else, for example a parent or business partner, to stand surety for you.
It is a fact that there are clauses in life policies that allow the insurance company to decline pay-out if, in the company's opinion, the insured died of AIDS or AIDS-related conditions. Other clauses allow the company to reject a claim when, although the insured was HIV-positive at the time of death, the cause of death had nothing to do with his/her HIV-positive status. In these cases some policies limit the company's liability to the surrender value of premiums paid to date of death or disability less the company's fee. Others exclude liability status...contd
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