Is life insurance expensive if you smoke weed? (Does vaping count?)
Yes, life insurance for smokers is expensive. There are a few reasons for this, which this article will answer. However, you can still reverse the situation if you stop.
As a smoker, you are most likely aware of the effects the act has on your health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking leads to multiple diseases, disabilities, and deaths in the United States
Unfortunately, smoking causes over 450,000 deaths each year. Such a statistic is an awkward detail to cite, but the downsides don’t stop there. The higher cost of life insurance for smokers is another item on the list of effects smoking has on its users.
Before we delve deeper into the basics of this life insurance policy, let’s find out what counts as smoking.
What counts as smoking?
Any activity that introduces nicotine into the body is called smoking. So cigarettes count as smoking. But more activities also fall into the “smoking” category. Whether you are a “tobacco user” or a “nicotine user,” life insurance companies consider you a smoker. Cannabis smokers would be considered “smokers” because you’re burning something and inhaling it, so smoking weed would be considered “smokers”.
Use of the following devices or substances makes you a smoker:
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Vapers and e-cigarettes
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Bidis
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Tube
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hookahs
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cigars
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snuff
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chewing tobacco
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heated tobacco products
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Dissolvable Tobacco
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Nicotine Replacement Therapy (patches, nasal sprays, lozenges, inhalers, gum)
If you also use marijuana, some life insurance companies will classify you as a smoker regardless of potency. The classification in this case depends on whether you use marijuana infrequently or frequently.
Regular cigar users are also considered smokers. However, you can get a non-smoking rate if you consume the product infrequently. “Rarely” here means that you smoke a cigar at most once a month.
Different life insurance companies have their tolerance limits. So you need to find out whether your insurance company considers you a smoker or not.
How much does smoking life insurance cost?
Smoking makes the body more susceptible to disease. This makes insurance premiums more expensive for smokers. When you smoke, it gradually decreases the effective functioning of blood vessels. Over the long term, this can lead to high blood pressure and other heart conditions. The substances smoked can also irritate your lungs and possibly lead to infections.
Of course, health problems can occur in non-smokers, but smokers have a high probability of developing them more quickly and fatally. So when you apply for life insurance, the company will review your medical records. The verification process is called underwriting.
You should know that when applying for life insurance, it is important to tell only the truth. The insurance companies have the ability to verify everything you say. If an insurance company catches you lying, other companies will surely know. First of all, they will carry out a medical examination of the life insurance for you. At this point, blood and urine samples will be taken from you.
When they do, they find traces of cotinine—a byproduct of nicotine—when they smoke. This by-product can also be found in your saliva and hair. These test methods may not work for someone who smoked 3 or 4 days ago. For this reason, many smokers applying for life insurance hide the condition. But it’s almost impossible to outwit insurance companies’ investigative powers.
You check:
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Medical records: This is a routine check that almost always reveals nicotine.
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Pharmaceutical Databases: The company reviews your current and past prescriptions in search of smoking cessation medication
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Previous insurance applications: There is a central repository for all life and health insurance applications. So if you apply to a new insurance company, they can find your previous applications.
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Social media: With everyone posting great details about their life on social media, the various platforms have become a tool for insurance companies to look for evidence.
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Her voice: Some insurance companies come with technology that predicts if you are a smoker by listening to your voice. The data from the survey is combined here with other details such as social and demographic background.
If any of these screening tools indicate the possible presence of nicotine in your life, the company will offer you insurance with a higher premium compared to non-smokers.
Comparison of life insurance for smokers and non-smokers
On average, life insurance costs for smokers are more than twice as high as for non-smokers. In some cases it can be 3 or 4 times higher. How high it is depends on age, coverage and gender.
For example, if the average life insurance cost for a 30-year-old non-smoker is $300, the average for a smoker in the same age group rises to over $800. In many cases, smokers have to pay up to five times that for life insurance with a $500,000 death benefit and a 20-year term.
Because insurance companies have different criteria for classifying applicants, the following grouping can easily be wrong. However, most companies use this grouping, which reflects a difference in insurance cost rates.
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Super Preferred Non-Smoker: This refers to people who have not used nicotine or tobacco in the last four to five years.
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Preferred non-smoker: This refers to people who have not used nicotine or tobacco in the last two years.
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Standard Non-Smoking refers to people who do not smoke but are of average health.
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Preferred smoker: This refers to people who smoke occasionally – who have used nicotine or tobacco within the last year
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Normal smoker: This refers to regular smokers of average health.
Below is a table examining the life insurance costs for both extremes of a particularly preferred non-smoker and a standard smoker.
Age |
gender |
Super preferred non-smoker |
Normal smoker |
25 |
Female |
$187 |
$708 |
25 |
masculine |
$225 |
$1,018 |
30 |
Female |
$193 |
$809 |
30 |
masculine |
$229 |
$1,055 |
35 |
Female |
$209 |
$1,050 |
35 |
masculine |
$248 |
$1,390 |
40 |
Female |
$290 |
$1,435 |
40 |
masculine |
$341 |
$2,080 |
45 |
Female |
$438 |
$2,451 |
45 |
masculine |
$549 |
$3,260 |
50 |
Female |
$654 |
$3,460 |
50 |
Masculine |
$841 |
$4,590 |
55 |
Female |
$993 |
$5,068 |
55 |
masculine |
$1,350 |
$7,170 |
60 |
Female |
$1,684 |
$8,021 |
60 |
masculine |
$2,366 |
$11,274 |
Frequently asked questions about life insurance for smokers
Can I be denied life insurance if I smoke?
No, you will not be denied an application for life insurance. You are entitled to insurance even though you are a smoker. You just have to pay more.
Does all life insurance require a health check?
No, not all life insurance policies require medical examinations. For example, the guaranteed issuance of life insurance is not. The prices for this type of insurance policy are exorbitant since the insurer does not do many background checks.
Also, the coverage is usually small — anywhere from $5,000 to $25,000. So there’s no point in avoiding the standard life insurance medical exam just for that.
How long do I have to stop smoking to be considered a non-smoker?
To be considered a non-smoker, your last use must be more than 12 months ago. However, it is best to confirm this with your insurance company of interest.
What if I start smoking after getting life insurance?
If you start smoking after taking out life insurance at the non-smoking tariff, there will be no tariff increase. Even if you smoke every hour of the day after you buy it, you’ll still enjoy the benefits provided for the non-smoking insurance package you’ve purchased.
Insurance companies believe that statistics indicate that applicants who do not start smoking before the age of 18 have a very low tendency to start later in life. Even if you start smoking after applying, they are less worried.
What happens if I quit smoking after taking out smoker plan insurance?
If you quit smoking after taking out smoker rate insurance, it is possible to get a reduced rate in the future. It helps if you discuss developments with your insurance company. They give you a threshold to be considered a non-smoker. The waiting period is usually one year.
You will complete a medical exam and a new health assessment to receive a reduced rate. It will affect the new rate if you have become a victim of a new disease since you bought the original rate.
In summary, quitting smoking after taking out smoking rate insurance does not automatically mean a drastic reduction.
What can I do to get non-smoking life insurance?
The best thing you can do is quit smoking. It’s no secret that the habit has harmful effects on the body. Quitting smoking can save you from many problems that could skyrocket your life insurance costs. Anyone who quits today can apply to become a non-smoker next year. Besides the fact that quitting will help you save on insurance costs, it will also help you lead a healthier life.
No matter how addicted you are to smoking, you can always quit. Saving on insurance premiums can be an incentive.
Conclusion
It is important to take care of your health and make the best decisions. Life insurance is another reason why smokers should quit. If you cancel, you will be able to choose a life insurance company that is sure to meet your needs.
Life insurance works for everyone, but remains cheaper for some than others. Additionally, it’s important to ask questions of your insurance company before signing. Being clear about every aspect of your life insurance application will help prevent your family from getting involved in a future lawsuit.
CANNABIS USERS WHO BUY LIFE INSURANCE READ THIS..
A MAJORITY OF WEED SMOKER WOULD LIE TO GET LIFE INSURANCE!
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