Co-Founder, TermInsuranceBrokers.com, Goldenzweig Financial Group, Las Vegas, Nevada
When you take an exam for a life insurance policy, one of the common tests they conduct is a urine test. Each company tests for a set of markers (the exact markers may vary by carrier), but each of them check for nicotine - the presence of nicotine indicates to the carrier the use of tobacco products.
The type of tobacco product being used does matter though - a couple of carriers will offer a non-smoker rate (saving you thousands of dollars over the life of a policy, regardless of term or permanent insurance) if you only use cigars or chewing tobacco (some smokeless tobacco), and not cigarettes. Prudential is known as somewhat of a "go to" company in the agent circles for people who only use the aforementioned types of tobacco. Cigarettes are considered smoker status across the board for underwriting purposes.
Please note, when completing an application (even for a non-medical product) and falsify information (e.g. saying you don't smoke and it's discovered that you do), the carrier can rescind the policy - it's important to be honest with the carrier so you don't run the risk of losing your coverage.
Most carriers will require at least a 12 month period from the point of the last use of tobacco before considering non-smoker risk classes.
When purchasing an underwritten life insurance policy, the underwriters will order a paramed exam. A paramed or nurse will come to you take the health history part of the application. They usually will require a urine sample and blood sample along with height/weight, blood pressure, etc. The urine is tested for nicotine. A person should be away from smoking, dipping, patches gum or chewing tobacco for an extended period of time to avoid a smokers rating on their life insurance.
Cotinine is a metabolite of nicotine that is found in blood and urine of tobacco users. Life Insurance companies test for smoking by checking for the presence of cotinine in blood and urine samples taken at the paramed exam. They will back up these tests with questions on the application, phone interview (if one is conducted) and medical records (if an APS is ordered).
That is a great question! In the case of you purchasing a policy for a larger face value, the insurance company will send out a para-med who will take samples or swabs from you to test for the markers of nicotine use. In the case of a smaller face value policy, there will be a question on your application, and then subsequent ones relating to smoking related diseases. If at some point the company has reason to believe that your answers during the application process are less than truthful, they may elect to deny or delay your payment on those grounds. The best thing to do is quit smoking, or find a company that is lenient with their tobacco rules, or one that doesn't ask at all. They exist, and a good agent can find one for you. I hope that helps, thanks for asking!
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The type of tobacco product being used does matter though - a couple of carriers will offer a non-smoker rate (saving you thousands of dollars over the life of a policy, regardless of term or permanent insurance) if you only use cigars or chewing tobacco (some smokeless tobacco), and not cigarettes. Prudential is known as somewhat of a "go to" company in the agent circles for people who only use the aforementioned types of tobacco. Cigarettes are considered smoker status across the board for underwriting purposes.
Please note, when completing an application (even for a non-medical product) and falsify information (e.g. saying you don't smoke and it's discovered that you do), the carrier can rescind the policy - it's important to be honest with the carrier so you don't run the risk of losing your coverage.
Most carriers will require at least a 12 month period from the point of the last use of tobacco before considering non-smoker risk classes.