Does Chewing Tobacco Increase Life Insurance Rates?
10968 POINTSview profileTim WilhoitOwner, Your Friend 4 Life, Brentwood TNIn most cases, yes chewing tobacco is viewed by the majority of life insurance companies the same as smoking. Nicotine is the key addictive ingredient that causes a higher rating. Therefore, nicotine gum and patches are rated as well. Life insurance companies typically double or triple rates based on nicotine use. However, there are a few carriers that under certain circumstances will underwrite you at a non tobacco rate. When you are being tested, underwriters use your paramed exam results, blood and urine, to detect your tobacco habits. They test for cotine instead of nicotine which stays in your system 14 days longer than nicotine. So, if you are an occasional cigar smoker, for example, you would need to be free of tobacco for at least 2 weeks prior to testing. If you are a heavy user it could take months to clear your system. Feel free to contact me if you have any further questions. I am always glad to help.Answered on July 20, 2014flag this answer
4249 POINTSview profileGary LanePresident, Lane Independent Agency, Southern CaliforniaYes Yes Yes. Definitely. Absolutely. I cannot be clearer. Tobacco of any kind in any manner will add nicotine to your blood. As soon as that nicotine is detected, life insurance rates will reflect that fact. You need to stop chewing for many reasons, not just the insurance rates. Once you have stopped for several months, you will see your rates go way down. Thank you. GARY LANE.Answered on July 20, 2014flag this answer
21750 POINTSview profileJim WinklerCEO/Owner, Winkler Financial Group, Houston, TexasThat is a great question! And a really good reason why an independent agent is worth a ton of money to you. Most companies will ask a question along the lines of "do you use nicotine in any form", but there are some that ask more specific questions, that don't mention chewing tobacco. That said, the incidences of throat and mouth cancers are through the roof for chewing tobacco users, so if it isn't life insurance costs, it will be health insurance costs. Please consider stopping before you become another statistic. Thanks for asking!Answered on July 21, 2014flag this answer
11783 POINTSContact Meview profileLarry GilmorePROAgent Owner, Gilmore Insurance Services, Marysville, Washington StateDoes chewing tobacco cause your life insurance rates to be higher? Yes, with just about every company out there. Currently Prudential is one of the few that does not treat chewing tobacco in the same manner they treat smoking. I am really not aware of any others that don't charge the smokers rate. Smoker life rates run anywhere from 40 to 60% higher costs for purchasing life coverage. Another cost of smoking.Answered on July 21, 2014+01+1 this answer
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63333 POINTSview profilePeggy MaceMost of the U.S.Chewing tobacco increases life insurance rates drastically with most companies. There are a handful of companies that will charge Standard range nontobacco rates for use of tobacco other than cigarettes; however, even of those, most will charge smoker rates if nicotine is detected in the blood or urine. Chewing tobacco does put nicotine into the bloodstream, so you must use the right company to get nonsmoker rates, and you must use an agent who knows the right questions to ask (for e.g. you cannot have smoked cigarettes in recent past to get this nontobacco rate, even if you only use chewing tobacco now). An agent who specializes in Tobacco Life Insurance rates can get you a personalized nontobacco rate while using chewing tobacco.Answered on July 21, 2014flag this answer
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