When applying for life insurance, many companies ask about your health and lifestyle habits, including whether you smoke. Smoking can significantly influence your life insurance rates, as it is a major factor in determining how much risk you pose to the insurer. Fortunately, if you’re a smoker, there are still ways to reduce your premiums.
How Life Insurance Companies Assess Smokers
At Secure Insurance Group, we believe that everyone should have access to affordable insurance, even if they aren’t in perfect health. That’s why we work hard to offer reasonable rates to smokers, with a special focus on younger individuals who are in good health otherwise.
Who Is Considered a Smoker?
While most people associate smoking with cigarettes, insurers have a broader definition. You can be considered a smoker if you use any of the following regularly:
- Cigarettes
- E-cigarettes or vapes
- Cigars
- Nicotine patches or gum
- Chewing tobacco
- Tobacco pipes
In some cases, even people who use cannabis might be classified as non-smokers, depending on how often they use it.
Why Do Insurers Care About Tobacco Use?
Smoking is a leading cause of numerous health problems, including cancers, heart disease, and strokes. It reduces life expectancy by at least a decade. Insurance companies rely on premiums for their revenue, and smokers are statistically more likely to have shorter lifespans. This means that if insurers charge smokers the same rates as non-smokers, they could lose a significant amount of money. As a result, smokers are often charged higher premiums to offset the shorter time the insurer will collect payments.
Does Occasional Tobacco Use Affect Rates?
Not all smokers are daily users. Some may only smoke on special occasions or during social gatherings. If this is the case, insurers may offer lower rates for infrequent smokers. For example, someone who only smokes cigars once a month might pay the same rates as a non-smoker, depending on the insurer’s policies.
What Happens if You Quit Smoking?
If you quit smoking, you could see your life insurance premiums decrease over time. Once you’ve been smoke-free for at least 12 months, you may be eligible for a re-evaluation and could be classified as a non-smoker. However, if you’ve developed smoking-related health conditions, you may face higher premiums even after quitting.
How Do Insurers Verify Smoking Habits?
If you’re tempted to lie about your smoking habits on your application, think again. Insurance companies have ways of verifying whether you’re telling the truth. During your medical exam, they can test for cotinine, a byproduct of nicotine, in your blood, urine, saliva, or hair. The level of cotinine detected can indicate how frequently you use tobacco. Frequent smokers typically show high levels, while occasional users will have much lower amounts.
Additionally, insurers may notice changes in your voice or check your social media activity for posts or photos of smoking. If it’s discovered that you’ve lied about your smoking status, your policy could be canceled.
Should I Wait to Quit Before Getting Life Insurance?
You may think that the best strategy is to quit smoking before applying for life insurance. While this could help reduce your premiums, waiting too long can have its drawbacks. Age and health issues also play a role in determining your rates. The older you get or the more health problems you develop, the higher your premiums will be, even if you quit smoking.
Instead of delaying, it’s often better to secure a policy as soon as possible, and then work on quitting smoking. Many insurers even offer discounts for participating in smoking cessation programs, allowing you to save on premiums as you work to quit.
