Having life insurance coverage can mean the difference between your loved ones being able to move forward financially, or be saddled with long-term financial burden if the unexpected should occur. Even if you are young, healthy, and active, unanticipated events can and do occur. So, it is best to be prepared with life insurance just in case.
When applying for life insurance protection, the insurance company will typically want to know some in-depth details about you, your health, and your habits, as this information can affect the amount of risk that the insurer is taking on, and in turn, the amount of premium that you will be charged for your life insurance policy.
In addition to your age, weight, and gender – and the type and amount of insurance coverage that you are applying for – one of the biggest criteria that life insurers look for is whether or not you smoke. This can include both cigarettes and cigars, as well as other forms of tobacco usage. And it doesn’t exclude those who only smoke on an occasional basis.
How Smoking Cigars Can Have an Effect on Your Life Insurance Coverage and Premium
If you are only an infrequent cigar smoker, you may think that you are still considered to be a non-smoker. But unfortunately, this is not always the case. The reality is that smoking cigars can – and often does – typically affect your application and your premium for life insurance coverage.
One reason for this is because the risks that are incurred by your body when smoking cigars is similar to those that are associated with the smoking of cigarettes. For example, when you smoke a cigar, you are still ingesting tobacco – which can also be the case for smoking a pipe, and for chewing tobacco, as well as for other tobacco-related products.
For instance, just as with cigarettes, there is a higher risk of contracting cancer if you smoke cigars than if you are a non-smoker. This can include the heightened risk of lung cancer and pancreatic cancer, as well as heart disease, COPD, and other serious health conditions – even for people who only smoke cigars on occasion.
In many ways, cigar smoking may even be more of a health-related risk than the smoking of cigarettes. This is because cigar smoke contains more tar than that of cigarettes. Also, more cancer-causing nitrosamines are released when smoking a cigar than when smoking a cigarette. Also, cigars have been found to contain a higher level of toxins. Because cigar wrappers are typically not as porous than those of cigarettes, more toxins can be released into the air with a cigar.
According to research by Consumer Reports, roughly 75 percent of all cigar aficionados only smoke cigars occasionally. But, even if you only light up for weekends or special occasions, you may still be considered as a smoker when you are applying for life insurance.
So, how can you determine if you are considered to be a regular or an infrequent smoker of cigars? One way is to have an idea of how many cigars that you smoke in a year. For instance, although not all insurance companies are the same when rating cigar smokers, often you will be considered as only an occasional user is you smoke less than 12 cigars within 12 months. Likewise, a moderate smoker may consume between 12 and 50 cigars, and a regular smoker of cigars will smoke more than 50 per year – which comes out to roughly one per week.
Depending on your usage of cigars, you could be charged somewhere near double – or even more – for the life insurance that you purchase. But, there can be also be good news if you are looking for life insurance coverage and you are only an infrequent smoker of cigars. This is because, while all life insurance carriers will have some criteria for rating, and pricing, their applications for coverage, not all insurance companies have the same factors. This means that, although some insurers may consider you to be a smoker, others may not – and this can make a substantial difference in the price you are charged for coverage. Knowing this before you purchase a life insurance policy can be extremely beneficial.
How can you quickly and easily find the carriers that are more apt to work with smokers of cigars? One of the best ways to do so is to work with an independent life insurance agency or brokerage that has access to numerous carriers, and that specializes in applications that may be considered as higher risk. Often, just a quick check online can provide you with the coverage and quote information that you need.
Will You Qualify for Life Insurance If You Smoke Cigars?
In many instances, people who smoke cigarettes and / or cigars can still qualify for life insurance – provided that they are otherwise in good health. The premium that is oftentimes charged, though, can be in the range of two to three times more than that of a non-smoker, with all of the other factors being equal.
If however, you have certain health related issues, you may not be able to qualify for a traditional, medically underwritten policy. In this case, however, you may still have other options that are available to you.
One possible option is a no medical exam life insurance policy. As the name implies, a no medical exam policy will not require an applicant to undergo a medical examination as a factor for qualifying. And, while the premium that is charged for this type of insurance coverage is usually higher, it can provide you with an avenue for obtaining the insurance protection that you need.
Depending on your age and your health condition, there are also guarantee issue policies. With a guarantee issue life insurance policy, you are guaranteed to qualify for coverage – and, provided that the premium continues to be paid, the insurance company typically cannot cancel your coverage for any reason. So whether you are looking for coverage for yourself or insurance for parents; we can help.
What Will the Insurance Underwriters Want to Know About Your Cigar Smoking?
When you apply for life insurance coverage, you will typically be required to fully complete an application for coverage. This will ask you questions about yourself – such as your age and gender, height and weight, occupation and income, and the activities that you participate in – including the smoking of cigarettes and / or cigars.
You will also be asked questions regarding your health and history (including your family health history), and for more details about any health issues that you have been diagnosed with, either currently or in the past.
If you are applying for a traditional, medically underwritten life insurance policy, you will also need to take a medical examination. During this exam, you will meet with a paramedical professional – either in your home or in another convenient location for you. The paramed will usually ask you some additional health-related questions, and they will also take from you a blood and a urine sample.
While these tests are analyzed for certain health conditions, they can also detect whether or not you are a smoker. In fact, the nicotine test will allow the life insurance company to know whether or not you smoke cigars – as well as whether you are a frequent or just an occasional smoker.
With that in mind, even if you only smoke cigars on occasion, it is unwise to list yourself as a non-smoker on the application for coverage. Doing so, and later having the insurance carrier find out that your answers were untrue, could result in your life insurance coverage being canceled. Likewise, if the information on the application is inaccurate, and you were later to die due to a smoking-related condition, it is possible that your loved ones would not receive the benefit that they were counting on for their future financial security.
How to Find the Best Rates on Life Insurance for Cigar Smokers
When applying for life insurance coverage, it is important to know that all types of smoking – including the smoking of cigars – can affect the premium rate that you are charged. Knowing how and where to shop for life insurance, though, can end up saving you a considerable amount of money on your coverage.
When you are looking for life insurance rates, you will often find that working in conjunction with an independent insurance broker or agency will yield you the best results. This is because, rather than being only able to see the rates – and the coverage options – from one single insurance carrier, you can instead view the policies, premiums, and other details, in an unbiased manner, from multiple life insurance providers. From there, you can then make a much better determination as to which plan – and price – will work the best for you and your specific needs.
If you are a cigar smoker and you are in the market for life insurance coverage, we can help. We work with many of the top life insurance carriers in the nation, and we can assist you with obtaining all of the important details that you will require. We can also work with you on determining the type and amount of coverage that may be needed. To begin the process, all you need to do is just simply take a moment to fill out the form on this page.
Should you still have any additional questions or concerns about getting life insurance for a cigar smoker, or even just about life insurance in general, our experts will be happy to talk with you via phone. We can be reached directly, toll-free, by calling 334-380-4188.
We understand that it may at first appear difficult to find the life insurance coverage that you need at an affordable price – particularly if you are a smoker. But the good news is that you may have many options that are available to you. And, with an expert on your side, the process will be easy and convenient. So, contact us today – we’re here to help.
