 | How can an insurance company really tell if I smoke?
Answer: You will be charged a higher premium for your life insurance policy if you smoke. For this reason, life insurance companies have devised a variety of methods to detect tobacco use among their applicants. They start by simply asking you on the life insurance application if you smoke. But the application is not the only source available to evaluate your risk potential. You may be required to submit to a physical exam by an independent medical practitioner, and blood and urine tests are often mandatory, the results of which may indicate that you smoke. If you're applying for a large amount of life insurance, some companies conduct in-depth investigations into your background and medical history, interviewing friends and family members. Most companies will obtain health data from the Medical Information Bureau, a source of centralized information on individuals who have applied for life insurance, to see if you ever indicated on a prior application that you smoked. If you do smoke, you may be tempted to make false or incomplete statements on your application to ensure acceptance or lower premiums. Don't be dishonest about your smoking habit. Since a life insurance policy is a legal contract, lying on your application for insurance could be considered fraud. If a company finds out later that you lied about your smoking, it may have a legal basis to terminate your life insurance coverage. Or, the company can refuse to pay a claim by your beneficiary if it can prove that you lied about your smoking at the time you bought your policy. Life insurance policies are subject to a contestability period of two years, during which time the company may cancel the contract if you made any false statements on your application. But if fraud is determined, the contestability period is indefinite. | | IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. does not provide investment, tax, or legal advice. The information presented here is not specific to any individual's personal circ*mstances. To the extent that this material concerns tax matters, it is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by a taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed by law. Each taxpayer should seek independent advice from a tax professional based on his or her individual circ*mstances. These materials are provided for general information and educational purposes based upon publicly available information from sources believed to be reliable--we cannot assure the accuracy or completeness of these materials. The information in these materials may change at any time and without notice. Copyright 2016 by Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions Inc.
All Rights Reserved. | FAQs
If you're wondering about getting a cotinine test, life insurance providers will probably look for it. Life insurance companies care about all types of tobacco use.
Do insurance companies look at your smoking history? ›
If you're wondering about getting a cotinine test, life insurance providers will probably look for it. Life insurance companies care about all types of tobacco use.
How does insurance test for smoking? ›
Many insurers also require that you undergo a medical exam before buying coverage. During this medical exam, it's likely you'll be given a nicotine test. This may be a urine test, blood test, or saliva test. It's also possible to do a hair test for some substances.
What happens if you lie about being a smoker on health insurance? ›
What happens if I don't disclose to an insurance company that I use tobacco? If you report inaccurate or false information about your tobacco use on an application, an insurer is allowed to retroactively impose the tobacco surcharge to the beginning of the plan year.
How do insurance companies define smoking? ›
Standard nonsmoker: people of average health who don't smoke cigarettes. Preferred smoker: cigarette smokers or people who have used tobacco or nicotine products within the last 12 months. Standard smoker: frequent cigarette smokers in average health.
How do insurers know if you smoke? ›
Most life insurance policies require a physical exam before your policy is written. You'll be given a nicotine test to confirm your tobacco usage details. Note that any health issues associated with smoking may also factor into your health exam and, ultimately, your life insurance rate.
Does being a former smoker affect insurance? ›
If you've been smoke-free for a prescribed number of years (usually at least 2-5 years), you can apply for a level term life insurance policy and likely get a much better premium for your term choice than you would if you were still a smoker.
Can insurance companies tell if you vape? ›
Why do you need to be honest about your vaping history? Any substance you vape can show up during your medical exam or in your health history. You won't be denied coverage due to your use of e-cigarettes, but you might be penalized if you try to hide it from the insurance company.
How long does it take for nicotine to leave your system? ›
People also process nicotine differently depending on their genetics. Generally, nicotine will leave your blood within 1 to 3 days after you stop using tobacco, and cotinine will be gone after 1 to 10 days. Neither nicotine nor cotinine will be detectable in your urine after 3 to 4 days of stopping tobacco products.
Can insurance deny a claim for smoking? ›
It is possible for a life insurer to deny a claim for smoking. If the policyholder lied on their application and said they were a nonsmoker, and the insurer later finds out that this is untrue, it has grounds to cancel the policy or deny paying the death benefit to beneficiaries.
Blood. Nicotine shows up in blood tests, as do its metabolites, including cotinine and anabasine . Nicotine itself may be present in the blood for only 48 hours, while cotinine may be detectable for up to three weeks. After blood is drawn in a lab, results can take from two to 10 days.
How to pass a nicotine test for health insurance? ›
The best way to pass a nicotine test is to avoid nicotine for up to 10 days before the test, as blood tests can still detect cotinine for 10 days. There is no sure way to flush the body of nicotine quickly, but people may try maintaining a healthy lifestyle so that their body works efficiently.
How to get nicotine out of your system fast? ›
Nicotine is water-soluble, so drinking water will help flush out any lingering traces. Water helps flush nicotine and other chemicals out of your body. Therefore, drinking water in sufficient quantities is a must for every smoker. However, it will make you urinate more often.
Can insurance companies deny coverage for smokers? ›
If an insurance company finds out that you lied on your application and are a smoker, they may deny you coverage altogether.
How do insurance companies know if you vape? ›
Most insurers classify e-cig use as tobacco use because vape juice often contains nicotine, which insurers test for using a medical exam. Tobacco users receive a separate health classification. Your health classification determines how much you'll pay for life insurance., which translates into a costlier policy.
Can a company tell you you can't smoke? ›
Employers are free to ban all smoking in the workplace, even if state law allows it. In other words, there is no law that protects your right to smoke at work.
