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Can I Get Life Insurance If I Smoke?
Obtaining life insurance if you smoke can prove to be a bit harder than you may think it is. Life insurance companies may still provide life insurance policies for smokers, but you are likely to pay a significant amount more for the coverage. For that reason, it helps to work to stop smoking before you apply for life insurance coverage.
Is It Still Possible to Get Life Insurance While Smoking?
It is possible to get life insurance while smoking. Many companies will provide you with the ability to purchase a term life insurance policy if you are a smoker. This type of life insurance remains in place for a set number of years, usually between 10 and 20 years. During that time, if you die, the policy will pay the person you name a lump sum of money. Term life insurance policies have no cash value – that means that you cannot borrow from them or turn them in for cash during your lifetime. They are designed to cover your loved one’s needs.
Some companies may not award you a policy if you have health conditions that stem from smoking. For example, if you have been diagnosed with cancer or you have other health complications, they may be unable to offer you coverage.
What Can You Expect from Life Insurance for Smokers?
When it comes to choosing life insurance for smokers, realize that there are some limits. First, you are likely to have a higher life insurance rate than you would if you did not smoke. That is because companies use information about your health to determine if they can offer you life insurance. If you are a smoker, you are at a higher risk for dying at a younger age, making it more risky for the company to provide you with life insurance.
It is also possible that you will be unable to obtain a whole life insurance policy. Some people may find these policies are ideal because they provide life insurance coverage over the long term. However, many insurance companies do not allow for life insurance policies to provide long term coverage for a smoker because of the higher risks. Most policies can be financially out of reach for smokers.
What Is the Best Life Insurance for Smokers?
When choosing the best life insurance for smokers, look at all the options the company offers to you. Most often, a long-term, term life insurance policy is the best option. It helps to lock in your rate and coverage for a set number of years. However, if you are younger and you are still healthy, it can also be beneficial to you to choose a life insurance policy that offers short term coverage. Then, when you stop smoking, you can renew your policy or select a whole life insurance policy. This can offer more long term benefit to some people if they plan to quit smoking.
Life Insurance Rates for Smokers Who Stop Smoking
If you stop smoking, you do not automatically qualify for life insurance. Most of the time, you will need to remain smoke-free for a set number of years. This, along with proving that your health is still good, can help to encourage life insurance companies to offer you low cost life insurance again. However, you will have to remain smoke-free and prove to the life insurance company that you are no longer using. This generally comes from taking a few medical tests over a period of time.
Is a Life Insurance Smoking Test Likely?
Most of the time, life insurance companies will conduct a thorough medical screening for those who are applying for life insurance coverage. Among those tests are blood work and labs that can show the presence of nicotine in the bloodstream. In addition, they may conduct tests on hair that can determine if a person is a smoker. There is no benefit to applying for life insurance if you are not telling the truth about your health. They will find out and, if they do, they will not provide you with a life insurance policy. It is better to stop smoking and ensure it is removed from your system for a period of time before applying or to apply for life insurance honestly.
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