Content Overview 
- Summary
- Be a person living with HIV - not one dying of it.
- Commit yourself to doing everything you can to keep the virus in check.
- Look for a doctor who is a specialist with a large HIV practice who is connected with a quality hospital. Learn how to maximize your time with doctors.
- HIV. Basics
- If lab or other tests are unexpectedly bad or good, ask for them to be done again - preferably by a different lab.
- Decide whether to start treatment. If so, choose a treatment that fits your life.
- Once you choose a treatment, follow the prescribed regimen. Learn to be wise about purchasing, living with, storing and disposing of drugs. Free drugs may be available.
- Non-Western treatments should be complementary, not instead of Western treatments. If needed, cutting edge treatments are available through clinical trials.
- Decide who to tell about your HIV status, and when.
- Tell every doctor and other medical professional about your HIV status and drugs.
- Think of family and friends as part of your health care team. Ask for help when you need it. Family roles may change as your needs change.
- Share your emotions. Seek someone who is going through the same thing you are. Consider joining a support group.
- Examine your insurance and financial situation to determine how to pay for medical care and drugs or access them for free if you don't have the resources. If you don't have health insurance, do what you can to get it. You still can.
- Pay attention to your financial basics. Start improving your financial resources. Do what you can to get rid of or minimize existing debt. Refine your investment strategy. Keep track of medical expenses.
- When debt is under control, start working on your goals.
- If you work: Learn how to navigate the potential mine field.
- If you are not able to work, learn the best way to apply for disability income benefits. If you receive a disability benefit, learn how to keep it.
- If you are returning to work or changing jobs, a new employer cannot ask about your health condition.
- Self employed and business owners
- Be sure your legal affairs are in order, including Advance Care Directives. HIV only makes this need more urgent. It will help you feel in control.
- Learn about the HIV resources in your community.
- Drugs do not work in a vacuum. Live a healthy lifestyle. It helps make drugs and other treatments most effective.
- If you have a pet, learn how to live with it safely. If you don't have a pet, consider getting one. A pet is good for your health.
- Although a major source of transmission of HIV is through bodily contact, you can still be physically intimate with people. Learn how to avoid transmitting HIV to other people.
- Watch for depression. Depression, and all other side effects, can be treated.
- Learn About Other Diseases That Can Show Up When Living With HIV, How To Help Prevent Them And Symptoms To Watch For.
Living With HIV
Pay attention to your financial basics. Start improving your financial resources. Do what you can to get rid of or minimize existing debt. Refine your investment strategy. Keep track of medical expenses.
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Whether you pay your rent, mortgage and credit cards on time affects your credit rating. In turn, your credit rating will determine how much money you can borrow and at what price if you need money. You may need money to pay for your medical expenses or to keep your lifestyle. Credit rating also impacts areas of life such as automobile insurance premiums.
- Do what you can to protect and improve it.
- Pay your basics on time, especially essential ones such as rent or mortgage payments.
- Pay at least the minimums due on your credit cards on time. Timely payments are important to your credit.
- Do not let any type of insurance policy lapse for non-payment. The last thing you need is a large economic loss that could have been insured against.
- Pay attention to unpaid bills. There are guidelines for figuring out how to pay which creditor. You can negotiate most bills.
If debt is overwhelming, consider bankruptcy. Postponing bankruptcy only postpones the inevitable, burdens you with unnecessary stress and costs more by what could be called throwing good money after bad.
As soon as you are out of debt, do what you can to create an Emergency+Fund so you have cash on hand for emergencies and other expenses that may require cash.
Do what you can to improve your credit score. Credit scores are important for a batch of reasons, including how much you will be charged to borrow money.
Do what you can to Increase your credit. Start accepting the credit card offers you get in the mail. That doesn't mean to use the cards to run up debt. It does mean using each card enough to keep it open in case you need credit in the future. If you don't have credit, start getting it. .
- Revisit your investment strategy to take into account the possibility of a shorter than normal life expectancy. That is not to say that HIV as such shortens your expectancy. Just that if it does, take that into account. Our documents on the subject show you how.
- See what you can do to improve your income. Perhaps there is a better paying job with your employer for which you can qualify. Alternatively, consider changing jobs or even careers. (You can't be discriminated against because of your HIV if you want to attend school).
- A little financial planning will help maximize your financial situation. It doesn't have to take a lot of time. Planning should take into account ongoing medical costs and changes in your income and non-medical expenses due to HIV and related health conditions. Planning should also include the possibility of a recurrence. If this becomes burdensome, ask a family member or friend to help. Professional help is also available.
- Consider increasing the amount of life insurance you have. Among other ways to get life insurance, you may be able to do this at work once a year no matter what your health history. If you become sick, it can be used as an asset from which you can get cash.
- See if you can obtain Disability Income Insurance. If you can't obtain it on your own, you may be able to get it from a new employer. Large employers such as the government often offer such insurance as an employee benefit.
- Keep track of medical expenses. Include the cost of getting to and from doctors. Medical expenses may be deductible for tax purposes.
- Don't pay a medical bill just because you receive it. Many health care providers send bills to patients even if the amount is covered by insurance. Check the bill to be sure:
- That the service was received AND
- That you owe it instead of the insurance company.
- If you owe a bill, you can likely negotiate the amount due.
For additional information, see the above links which lead to "How to" information, and::