Vapers often face challenges getting affordable life insurance coverage. Insurers tend to lump e-cigarette use into the same high-risk category as smoking traditional cigarettes. This results in vapers paying smoker rates, which are much higher premiums.
Why does vaping warrant the same treatment as smoking by life insurance companies?
They consider it an unknown long-term health risk. Without decades-long studies on the effects of vaping, insurers take a conservative view and charge higher premiums to offset uncertainty.
It may seem unfair given vaping is generally deemed less harmful than regular smoking. But with limited data available, life insurance companies remain cautious and classify vaping as high risk.
So if you currently vape or have a history of vaping, expect to pay smoker premiums when applying for life insurance, even if you've never touched a cigarette. The vaping stigma remains prevalent in the insurance industry.
With the surging popularity of vaping in recent years, many people might not be aware that it can have an impact on their life insurance rates. Smoking has been traditionally linked to higher premiums, with non-smokers receiving the best rates, but how does vaping affect an individual’s policy?
Insurance companies use a set classification system when setting life insurance rates, typically ranging from Preferred Plus (the highest rating) to Substandard (the lowest rating). As such, if an applicant discloses vaping or cigarette smoking in their application form then their rate could increase dramatically. In light of this, it’s essential to be honest when completing a life insurance application as this could save you considerable costs in the long run.
Research suggests that there are multiple negative health impacts associated with vaping; indeed, one study found that after just 30 minutes of vaping the stiffness of an individual’s aorta (the major artery leading to the heart) increased to that of someone who had smoked a whole cigarette. This kind of data has prompted insurers to think twice before extending coverage to those who partake in such activities.
Despite its increasing popularity, there is still much less research available for vaping than smoking and its consequences for health; as such it’s still unclear what implications this may have for life insurance premiums. Due to its comparative unregulated status in comparison to cigarette sales, insurers are being extra cautious when assessing applicants which means they may charge higher premiums for those who partake in vaping activities.
These increased costs can easily be avoided by disclosing accurately on your life insurance application form – if you don't vape and would like the best possible cover then make sure you state the truth about any activities which could potentially affect your rates."
The issue of whether life insurers view vaping and smoking the same way can be confusing. Despite the growing recognition of vaping as a means to reduce long-term health risks, many insurers still consider vaping to be treated the same as regular smoking when assessing risk for policy premium costs.
In 2016, the FDA declared e-cigarettes (ENDS) as tobacco products, meaning they would become subject to certain federal regulations. Subsequently, many vapers have found themselves being treated similarly to smokers when it comes to purchasing life insurance. Even if only vape juice is used, it’s likely that life insurance premiums will be more than two or three times higher than those offered to non-smoking policyholders.
Life insurers take various factors into consideration when underwriting a policy and determining the cost of premiums. These include personal health history, family medical history, geographic region and lifestyle choices – which means that any type of nicotine could cause a surge in premiums. As such, it means that both vaping and cigarette smoking are likely to put someone in the higher risk category according to life insurance providers.
Ultimately, while there are some differences between vaping and smoking – such as health risks associated with each – many life insurers still choose to view them both the same for policy underwriting purposes, meaning vapers can pay much higher premiums than non-smokers for their coverage.
Find Our Your Rates as a Vaper
The question of whether vapers are considered smokers for life insurance purposes has been a hotly debated one in recent times. Many people who vape only occasionally assume that they are not considered smokers for the purpose of life insurance, but the reality is more complicated.
When applying for life insurance, an applicant must answer the question of whether they have smoked any tobacco product, used an e-cigarette or used any nicotine replacement products in the last 12 months. Those who vape occasionally need to answer yes to this particular question, even if they don’t consider vaping as smoking in their own minds.
This doesn’t mean that occasional vapers will necessarily pay higher premiums than non-smokers. Some insurers offer so-called "non-smoker" rates provided certain criteria are met by the customer. This typically means having fewer than 24 cumulative tobacco occurrences in the past 12 months and providing a negative nicotine/cotinine marker on a urine sample. However, different insurers often have individual requirements and criteria when it comes to determining someone's smoker status.
It's essential to be aware of how your vaping habits can affect your life insurance policy, and to be honest with your insurer about them if asked about them.
While occasional vapers might not have to pay higher premiums than non-smokers, it pays off to compare insurers and policies before making a decision – especially since many health benefits come with remaining smoke-free.
Quitting the use of e-cigarettes can have significant health benefits, and could even provide a discount when you apply for life insurance. As the popularity of vaping continues to grow, insurers are coming up with new ways to better understand their clients' risk profiles. In doing so, it is becoming more common for ex-smokers and vapers alike to qualify for non-smoker rates.
Understanding what sort of rates you can get from an insurer is important to getting a great deal on your life insurance policy. To qualify for non-smoker rates, you need to have refrained from using any tobacco products, nicotine replacement products or electronic cigarettes in the last 12 months.
It’s worth noting that while switching to another smoking product (e.g. cigars) within this time frame can disqualify you from non-smoker's rates, if you’ve made the switch more than 12 months ago then there may be potential savings for you by applying again with a new policy as an ex-smoker.
Your risk profile has an effect on your life insurance premiums, so quitting smoking or vaping can be a great way to reduce the amount of money that you pay each month. Not only that, but there are also health benefits associated with quitting these products too – improved lung health and increased energy levels being two examples – which will help protect your long term wellbeing and further support your application for non-smoker rates when applying for life insurance.
Research suggests that while e-cigarettes contain fewer harmful chemicals than traditional cigarettes, users are still at risk for nicotine addiction as well as exposure to other potentially toxic chemicals through second hand emissions. Quitting vaping completely will reduce this risk and therefore could improve your chances of securing cheaper life insurance.
Vapers, Get Your Own Life Insurance Rates!
When applying for life insurance, one of the most important things you can do is be honest about your vaping history (or smoking history). Lying or omitting your smoking habits in an attempt to obtain non-smoker rates can have serious consequences.
In addition to having to go through a medical exam and provide a urine or blood sample as part of the process, vapers may be asked about their health history and lifestyle habits directly by the insurer. The blood test can indicate nicotine usage, and if caught lying about your smoking habits can result in denied coverage or higher rates than what you would have gotten as an honest applicant.
Honesty is always the best policy when it comes to obtaining life insurance - whether you vape or not. Not only is it unethical to lie on your application, but it could also spell trouble if something should happen down the line that requires your insurer to revisit the application process.
If you’re found to be untruthful, chances are that you will not receive coverage at all or be approved for lower than expected amount of coverage. This means that you may have put yourself and/or your family in financial jeopardy due to inaccuracies on your application.
It's understandable that vapers want access to cheaper rates for their life insurance policy - but it's important remember that honesty is still paramount in this situation. Losing out on a few dollars won't make up for the potential loss of someone’s future financial stability due to untruthful answers given during the life insurance application process.
Vaping has become an increasingly popular habit in recent years, leading to many questions about how an insurer would view it when assessing life insurance rates. Factors such as the type of vaping device used and how often it is used can have a direct impact on the cost of life insurance for vapers.
When applying for life insurance, most companies will treat vapers like smokers due to the common belief that vaping still carries certain health risks. As such, vapers could be expected to pay two to three times more than non-smokers unless they quit vaping altogether.
Although it may not be easy to secure non-smoker rates if you vape, there are some options available, such as two life insurance carriers that offer high death benefit term life insurance regardless of whether you use e-cigarettes or not. This could provide more than $100,000 in coverage and could be well worth considering if the premiums for smoker rates are too high.
Some life insurers require ex-smokers to be cigarette-free for a certain length of time before they are eligible for non-smoker rates. The required amount of time varies from one company to another and can range anywhere between one and two full years without smoking or vaping. However, even if you have to pay smoker rates for life insurance, having coverage is essential nonetheless. Life insurance provides critical financial protection for loved ones when it is needed most, so it should never be overlooked.