Quick fact: Life insurance costs more for smokers. Here is how you can get cheap life insurance for smokers. This includes cigarettes, pipes, cigars, e-cigarettes, vaping, or even marijuana. Because life insurance is expensive if you smoke, this article is all about life insurance for smokers.
When you apply for life insurance coverage, there are dozens of different factors that the insurance company is going to look at. Life insurance companies will surely be testing for nicotine.
They will also be looking at your overall health and lifestyle habits in order to establish your health rate class. Your health rate class will determine your final premium charged for life insurance.
Some of the biggest factors that are going to impact your rates are your age, your overall health, and your tobacco usage.
Some companies are more smoker friendly than others. We also know which companies will overlook occasional cigarette smoking.
Every insurance company is different, which means all of them are going to view smokers differently. Every company has different medical underwriting, which means that you could receive drastically different rates for life insurance.
Getting quotes from dozens of companies before you choose a policy is the best way to ensure that you’re getting the lowest insurance rates. You can get those quotes by using the quoter on this page.
Why Do Smokers Pay More For Life Insurance?
A landmark surgeon general report in 1964 exposed the health risks of cigarette smoking and established a continuing campaign to curb tobacco use and its adverse impact on health. This is roughly the span of my life and the public opinion regarding smoking has shifted dramatically during that time.
Fifty years and 31 surgeon general reports later, the “prevalence of current cigarette smoking among adults has declined from 42% in 1965 to 18% in 2012.” This is encouraging, but still, the most recent report states that “cigarette smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths each year in the United States.
This is nearly one in five deaths.” Certainly, these statistics motivate life insurance companies to take a hard look at life insurance rates for smokers.
The report goes on to say that “more than 10 times as many U.S. citizens have died prematurely from cigarette smoking than have died in all the wars fought by the United States during its history.”
Smokers are more likely than non-smokers to die of stroke, respiratory disease, and heart disease, and “cigarette smoking has been causally linked to diseases of nearly all organs of the body.” These facts are mind-boggling and make clear the health risk of cigarette smoking inflicts upon U.S. citizens.
We have reached the point where everyone knows about the health risks of smoking and other tobacco use, yet 40 million Americans are still saddled with some form of tobacco dependence and thousands of teenagers smoke their first cigarette every day.
Life insurance companies must demand higher premiums from smokers and other tobacco users. The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress, A Report of the Surgeon General, Executive Summary.
The fact is, smoking cigarettes increases your likelihood of dying. Ever since the initial surgeon general report in 1964, life insurance companies have adjusted their policy premiums for smokers life insurance.
In addition to cigarette smokers (and former smokers), those who enjoy cigars, chew tobacco, smoke any type of electronic cigarette, use nicotine patches or gum, or smoke marijuana can expect higher life insurance premiums than if they didn’t have these habits.
Former smokers who now only occasionally smoke a cigarette can count on being classified as a smoker with most companies. We know one that will give an occasional smoker a break.
Even if you smoke less than half a pack a year, in a weak moment at a bar or in times of stress, most insurance companies see you as a risk to continue to smoke and suffer the consequences of your habit. Many of these “part-time smokers” do not even consider themselves to be smokers, but rest assured that most insurance companies do.
As I said, despite the barriers smoking or other tobacco habits place before you, reaching your life insurance goals is not as daunting a task as it may seem. Inquiring with several insurers can be a waste of time, we know which companies to use for the best smoker life insurance rates.
When calculating your premium, insurance companies consider your age, weight, gender, alcohol use, occupation, current health status, and health history in addition to any tobacco habit.
Different insurance companies calculate their policy premiums differently based on these and other risk factors.
Getting The Most Affordable Life Insurance
Just because you’re a smoker, doesn’t mean that your life insurance policy has to break your bank every month. There are several ways that you can find the best life insurance rates for smokers.
If you have stopped smoking for 1 year you can classify as a non-smoker with most companies. Switching to alternative options, like e-cigarettes or vaping will not help you lower your rate. If you’ve been thinking about quitting smoking, saving a couple of thousands of dollars per year should give you the motivation that you need.
The best way to ensure that you’re getting the lowest rates is to work with an independent insurance agent, like ours. Unlike traditional agents, we represent dozens of insurance companies. We can bring all of the lowest insurance rates straight to you.
Don’t let your smoking or your health prevent you from getting life insurance. Use the quoter on this page to find out how much life insurance will cost you.
Frequently asked Questions
How much more do smokers pay for life insurance?
Smokers pay substantially more for life insurance. For example, a 30-year old healthy male non-smoker would pay about $19 per month for a $500,000 20-year term policy whereas a 30-year old healthy smoker would pay about $63 per month for the same policy.
Why do smokers have to pay so much more for life insurance?
A landmark surgeon general report in 1964 exposed the health risks of cigarette smoking. Smokers are more likely than non-smokers to die of stroke, respiratory disease and heart disease, and “cigarette smoking has been causally linked to diseases of nearly all organs of the body.
Are some life insurers more "smoker friendly" than others?
The best way to ensure that you’re getting the lowest rates is to work with an independent insurance agent, like ours. Unlike traditional agents, we represent dozens of insurance companies. We can bring all of the lowest insurance rates straight to you.
If I quite smoking, how long should I wait to apply for life insurance?
If you don’t currently have live insurance, you shouldn’t wait at all. If you have life insurance and are quitting tobacco use, you should wait about 13 months before applying for replacement coverage.
Would it be cheaper buying no exam life insurance for smokers?
If you are thinking about hiding your tobacco use, we don’t recommend that. Even when you don’t have a life insurance exam, the insurance policy has an incontestability period when they are allowed to investigate the application and then possibly deny a claim.
Is term life insurance for smokers the best way to go?
If the lowest monthly premium is your focus, yes buying a term life insurance policy will have much lower premiums the whole life or universal life insurance.
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