Almost 15% of American adults are smokers, which is roughly 34 million people. Many of these people will be interested in life insurance one day. It’s important to know that having a smoking habit, even if it’s only occasionally, will affect how much you pay for life insurance.
Will Smoking Affect How Much I Pay?
The simple answer is smoking increases how much you pay for life insurance. Smoking is a huge contributor to an array of diseases and increases the risk of developing these and other serious health conditions:
- Stroke
- Heart attack
- Lung and throat cancer
- Emphysema
- Lung disease
In general, the life expectancy of smokers is ten years shorter than for non-smokers. Premiums for smokers are typically between 40% and 100% higher than for non-smokers.
What if I Only Occasionally Smoke?
When you apply for life insurance, you may be asked to answer questions about your health and your habits. One of these questions may have to do with smoking. So what if you only smoke once in a while?
Any use of tobacco should be disclosed in your life insurance application. This includes occasional cigarette smoking as well as using chewing tobacco, pipes, cigars, dissolvable tobacco, nicotine alternatives, or any other nicotine-based products. Even if you only smoke occasionally, you still have a similar risk for the same serious diseases as regular smokers.
What if I Vape (Use E-Cigarettes) or Smoke Marijuana?
Vaping is still considered a form of smoking because e-cigarettes typically contain nicotine. Be sure to answer honestly about smoking electronic cigarettes.
When it comes to smoking marijuana, you should still disclose this on your application when asked. Be frank about how frequently you use marijuana. Each life insurance company will handle marijuana use differently and not all applications ask about marijuana use. Marijuana use is not necessarily a disqualifying factor for life insurance.
What if I Start Smoking After I Get My Policy?
Maybe when you applied for your policy, you were a non-smoker but have since taken up the habit of smoking. If you have a term policy, you may have to answer a new health questionnaire when it comes time to renew your policy. At this point, you need to be honest about your tobacco use.
If you have a whole life insurance policy, your rates are locked in for the life of the policy, as long as you continue to pay your premium.
If you have any questions or concerns about how changes in your lifestyle might affect your life insurance, be sure to ask your agent.
How Can I Quit Smoking?
So you think you’re ready to quit smoking? There are numerous reasons to finally quit smoking cigarettes, from wanting to improve your health to enjoying a lower rate on your whole life insurance policy. It’s not easy to quit, though. Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Find A Reason: People have a hard time quitting smoking if they haven’t clearly identified a reason that is strong enough to overcome their craving for nicotine. If you don’t believe you have a good reason to quit, or you don’t really want to quit, it can be nearly impossible to stick with it.
- Understand Your Triggers: Understanding what makes you want to smoke can help you fight the urge. If you routinely smoke after eating, come up with something else to do after eating, like brushing your teeth or going on a walk. If stress makes you smoke, find a new way to relieve your stress. Understanding your triggers will help you replace the urge to smoke with a much healthier choice.
- Have a Plan to Resist Cravings: When you feel the urge to smoke, try something else. Practice deep breathing, or write out your list of reasons for quitting. Distract yourself in any way you can when you get a craving.
- Try Nicotine Replacements: Using a nicotine replacement, like a nicotine patch or nicotine gum, does help people quit smoking. Nicotine replacements help with the withdrawal symptoms and cravings you may experience from quitting.
- Exercise: It’s been shown that even as little as ten minutes of exercise can help reduce your cravings for nicotine. Exercise has numerous other health benefits, so you can greatly improve your health by quitting smoking and starting to exercise at the same time.
Turn to Americo Senior Life for Your Whole Life Insurance Needs
Even if you’re a smoker, you may still be able to get the affordable whole life insurance policy you need. Americo Senior Life specializes in whole life insurance for seniors. We also have years of expertise and can answer all your questions about how to qualify for life insurance if you’re a smoker.
If you’re a current smoker, Americo offers a Quit Smoking Advantage option. This means if you commit to quitting, you may be eligible to pay the non-smoker rates for the first three years of your policy. Before the end of the third year, you’ll have a chance to show that you’ve quit smoking for at least twelve months. If this is the case, then you’ll continue with the non-smoker rate. If you fail to quit, your premium will stay the same, but the death benefit will be reduced. You’ll also have the option to pay a higher premium to maintain the same death benefit.
Ready to talk about life insurance? You can be pre-approved in minutes. We also have a 30-day money-back guarantee, so there’s no risk if you change your mind. Secure your financial future and contact Amerio Senior Life or apply online today.