A big question for those who use e-cigarettes is whether they will be classified as a smoker or nonsmoker for life insurance purposes. More individuals are making use of e-cigarettes to help them quit. E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that transform a liquid version of flavored nicotine into a vapor. The user then inhales the vapor, so there is actually no smoke or burning in the process of enjoying an electronic cigarette.
Research has begun to show that e-cigarettes may be healthier than smoking tobacco since there’s not toxic smoke actually being inhaled. These devices are being used around the world to actually help people kick their smoking habit completely, which can lead to a healthier life overall. The Food and Drug Administration has not yet expanded their review to include electronic cigarettes, so many insurers across the industry are classifying these users as smokers, leading to higher rates. The FDA already regulates a wide variety of smoking cessation products and plans to ultimately include e-cigarettes, but to date, those regulations do not exist.
Other countries, like Portugal, Poland, Italy, and Germany have all made both the use and sale of e-cigarettes legal. The United Kingdom has gone one step further, allowing the use of these items in public places (although smoking cigarettes is forbidden in these public locations). Some U.S. employers are making the leap to include these products at a smoker classification for their insurance determinations. Wal-Mart, for example, charges cigarette smokers higher health insurance premiums but has recently added e-cigarettes to their smoking category.
Vaping and Life Insurance
Life insurance has different rates for tobacco users and non-tobacco users. Presently, you will need to write down on your application when the last time was that you used cigarettes or other nicotine products. The company verifies this using the paramedical examination, where your blood and urine are examined in order to help determine what kind of life insurance rating class you will get. There are many factors that can shape your life insurance rates, but using tobacco is one that will have the biggest impact. Since very little is known about electronic cigarettes at this time, you might find that many life insurance carriers will “play it safe” by choosing to issue smoking rates. Depending on your health and other factors, this might not be a huge difference in premium, but it’s wise to shop around to see what the best possible price is for you with regard to life insurance.
Currently, pretty much every life insurance carrier on the market is going to note e-cigarette usage at smoker rates. There are companies, however, that might be able to get you more affordable life insurance at non-smoker rates. With some, you may even test positive for nicotine on your lab work but others will want your labs to be clear so you may have to go without any use for a while.
The life insurance companies have actually been an industry leader when it comes to classifying smoking since they are the friendliest towards occasional cigar users. Those who smoke cigars every so often can qualify for nonsmoker rates also, so it’s not surprising that this may be the best company to purchase insurance from if you use electronic cigarettes.
At this time, you can be eligible for up to Standard Plus non-smoker rates with companies that offer this to e-cig users. What’s required in order to get this rate, however, is that you have not used regular cigarettes in the past 12 months. Some people assume incorrectly that quitting smoking even six months ago will allow them to qualify for nonsmoker rates and reap the benefits of costs savings, but this is rarely true in the insurance market. Many carriers require that you have stopped using cigarettes for 12 months or more and they will test your blood and urine to ensure that you are telling the truth.
If you have recently quit cigarettes and are using the e-cigarette to help you kick the habit for good, you might want to wait until this 12-month period has passed. When this happens, you may be able to get non-smoker rates. The same is true for significant changes in your weight, so you’ll want to be sure that any major life changes have been sustained for a year or more. The company allows for there to be a positive nicotine result in your medical exam and for you to still get standard plus non-smoker rates.
If you decide it’s time to move forward with your life insurance quote and application, you can learn a little more by comparing smoker rates while on the phone with one of our agents. You might be surprised to see the difference in premium that you’ll be rewarded with simply for using e-cigarettes. This can help improve your health as well as your chances of getting better ratings on your life insurance policy. When you do apply for your life insurance coverage, make sure that you tell your agent or add to your application that you use electronic cigarettes. The reason for this is that they will then be expecting you to test positive for nicotine.
If you don’t mention your use of these products, the carrier will be confused by you putting “nonsmoker” on your application when your medical exam turns back positive. It’s always better to be truthful upfront because it makes the entire process easier and ultimately get you that policy in hand much more quickly.
E-Cigarette(Vaping) Life Insurance Rates
If you run a quick quote on our term life comparison tool as a smoker and non-smoker you’ll see that the rates are more than double for smokers. That’s why we have so many clients reach out to us who are extremely grateful to be able to secure nonsmoker rates. But is the difference really that high, let’s take a look at some sample rates for a 40 Year Old Healthy Male who vapes and is trying to secure a plan for $750,000 for 30 Year Level Term:
Most Competitive Carrier with Preferred Tobacco Rating: Banner Life Insurance Company $321.73/mo
Our Go-to Carrier with Standard Plus Non-Smoker Rating: E-Cigarette Preferred Company $136.06/mo
That’s almost a difference of $200 per month that this individual can be saving by going with the right company. Now, you can understand the importance of shopping around and finding a company that will be best suited for you based on your overall health and lifestyle.
Work With Us!
There are options for individuals using electronic cigarettes. As more people attempt to kick the cigarette habit, it’s likely that the popularity of these devices will only to continue to grow. Unfortunately, the life insurance industry is relatively slow to adapt to change, but very few life insurance companies do have alternative situations. If you use an electronic cigarette and have been regular cigarette free for at least 12 months, contact us today about getting a life insurance policy as an e-cigarette smoker. We specialize in helping e-cigarette smokers get nonsmoker rates with leading life insurance carriers and save up to 60% on their premiums. So feel free to run quotes on our comparison tool here or call one of our experts at 888.492.1967!
