The harmful effects of smoking extend to almost every organ in the body and can lead to disease and disability.
According to the CDC, more than 16 million people in the United States currently have a condition caused by their smoking habit.
At least thirty people are estimated to be living with a serious smoking-related illness for every one person who passes away as a direct result of smoking. Cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis, are all diseases that smoking cigarettes or cigars can cause. Additionally, smoking increases the risk of tuberculosis, certain eye diseases, and problems with the immune system, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
And insurers do not like health risks, especially those in life insurance. So, with all that said, do cigar smokers pay for life insurance more than non-smokers?
Here in this article, we will tell you if smoking can lead to higher life insurance rates.
Do Cigar Smokers Pay More For Life Insurance?
The short answer is yes. Cigar smokers pay for higher life insurance rates. So if you are a smoker, you must expect your life insurance rates to be more expensive—quite a bit more expensive, in fact.
If your insurance considers you a smoker, then your life insurance premiums will be significantly higher than those paid by non-smokers for the same coverage. If you chew tobacco, smoke cigars or cigarettes, or use electronic cigarettes, the cost of your life insurance will be two to three times higher than it would be otherwise.
Your age, health, and any other factors that are considered to be a risk are taken into consideration when determining the cost of your life insurance policy. During the process of applying for life insurance, you will be questioned by the insurance company about whether or not you use tobacco products, the types of tobacco products you use, and the frequency with which you use them.
As part of the process of applying for insurance, you may be required to submit to a medical examination. This may include a test for nicotine dependence. To be eligible for non-smoker rates, most service providers require that you have been nicotine-free for at least a year.
But life insurance companies don’t just test for nicotine. Cotinine is an alkaloid produced in the body as a result of the metabolism of nicotine. Its presence is indicative of nicotine consumption. Therefore, if you are curious about a cotinine test, you should know that life insurance companies will most likely look for it.
Concern is felt by providers of life insurance regarding all forms of tobacco use, including the following:
Cigarettes
During the underwriting process for life insurance, applicants are categorized as either tobacco or non-tobacco risks. If you apply for life insurance while still using cigarettes, you will undoubtedly be classified as a tobacco risk. This is because smokers who use cigarettes frequently are considered a high risk to insure.
Cigars
Some providers are more open to classifying you as a non-smoker if you only consume tobacco products on a very sporadic basis. That may look like having a celebratory cigar or pipe once every six months. Some companies offering life insurance might decrease the price if you can prove that you only smoke cigars occasionally.
However, insurance companies will only allow you to smoke a few cigars yearly. Furthermore, most life insurance companies do not differentiate between the use of cigars on an occasional basis and the use of cigarettes on a consistent basis.
All in all, cigar smokers will likely pay more for their life insurance coverage.
E-cigarettes/Vaping
Most major life insurance companies regard electronic cigarette (e-cig) users as having a higher risk to insure than people who have never smoked. This is due to the limited amount of research that has been conducted on the effects of vaping on one’s health over the long term. When determining the cost of a life insurance policy, insurers typically evaluate e-cigarette users and vapers similarly to smokers.
Nicotine Gum And Patches
Companies that provide life insurance consider nicotine replacement products, such as gum and patches, to be smoking. These products, like chewing tobacco, cigarettes, and cigars, leave traces of nicotine or cotinine in your blood and urine for more than one week and for as long as one month. No matter what type of tobacco or nicotine product you use, if you test positive for nicotine, you will be considered a smoker. This is true even if you do not smoke.
Marijuana
Some insurance companies consider people who use marijuana also to be tobacco users. People who use marijuana are only eligible for smoker rates, which are two to three times more expensive. Depending on how frequently you use cannabis, some life insurance companies will still offer you their non-smoker rates. If you vape marijuana, you will most likely be charged at a higher rate for smokers.
In conclusion, life insurance companies charge 2 to 3 times higher rates to smokers than those who are not.
