Pipe Smoking & Life Insurance

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BriarFox

BriarFox

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A while back there was a thread about pipe smoking and health insurance. That has got me curious on pipe smoking and Life Insurance. Everything I have found Life Insurance Companies do not differentiate between a pack a day cigarette smoker and 1 bowl a week pipe smoker.

The rate comparisons between non-smoker and smoker are enormous. $100 a month difference from what I was comparing. Any members have knowledge on this? If something happened to me I would hate for a insurance company to not pay my spouse because I smoke 1 bowl a week of pipe tobacco when I consider myself a non-smoker.

On another note, It really pisses me off how our lives are controlled now days. Why do the insurance companies focus so much on tobacco use, but so little attention is given on the ill effects of too much alcohol or poor diet?
 
Good question.

I think anything that might cause big insurance to shell out is in the like of fire. Smoker's a smoker to them, so the more people that can get into that category, the more $ they can rake in. The justification , of course, is that smokers put a bigger strain on the health care system. Read "costs them $". Dun worry, fast food and alcohol are on the list, too.   :evil:

Oh, any history of psychiatric treatment? Yep, higher rate, yo!  8)
 
BriarFox":33rfnemn said:
A while back there was a thread about pipe smoking and health insurance.  That has got me curious on pipe smoking and Life Insurance.  Everything I have found Life Insurance Companies do not differentiate between a pack a day cigarette smoker and 1 bowl a week pipe smoker.  

The rate comparisons between non-smoker and smoker are enormous.  $100 a month difference from what I was comparing.  Any members have knowledge on this?  If something happened to me I would hate for a insurance company to not pay my spouse because I smoke 1 bowl a week of pipe tobacco when I consider myself a non-smoker.    

On another note, It really pisses me off how our lives are controlled now days.  Why do the insurance companies focus so much on tobacco use, but so little attention is given on the ill effects of too much alcohol or poor diet?  
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Sadly, you lit up a container which contained a substance which emits nicotine and is ingested into ones body in many ways, not all of which are thru inhaling, thus YOU ARE A SMOKER ! That's life guy! It stinks, but as Mr. Brecht wrote: "... money makes the world go 'round" and we do live in the United Corporation of America these days.  :twisted: :twisted: 
 
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Many a life insurance salesperson will pay for his or her BMW with this little trick. Avoid cigarette smokers, but look for occasional cigar and pipe smokers. Charge them 3-pack a day rates, collect their checks and enjoy your new car.

Something similar was done by auto insurers. People with a ticket on their record were put in the assigned risk pool at exaggerated rates. Then the actuaries noticed that many people in the AR pool were ordinary drivers with decent records with but one or two blemishes. Also, they were sooo relieved to get insurance at any price, they gratefully wrote their checks. Soon insurance ads for drivers with black marks on their records began to pop up, because the business was profitable and the customers were easier to rape. Drivers with clean records tend to insist on low rates and will shop annually for it. The game got tougher when assigned risk insurers began to cut their rates and drivers wised up.

By the way, you shop your auto insurance every year or two, don't you?
 
I wonder what the rates are for medical marijuana smokers? Tell em you're a med-weed patient who uses nicotine patches to stay awake after all those doobies.
 
Puff Daddy":f766a6yz said:
I wonder what the rates are for medical marijuana smokers? Tell em you're a med-weed patient who uses nicotine patches to stay awake after all those doobies.
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Dude, don't tell me insurance will actually cover medicianal marijuana in the US now. Really??
 
Hello all!! This is Mrs Hawker!!!
I am a Finanial Life Coach and I deal with helping famiies get life insurance, invest for their futures and such.
In regards to how much you smoke or don't smoke in a week is irrelevant you consume tobacco and are considered a smoker whether you inhale or not. Some insurance companies may have preferred smoker rates but that is becoming something of the past Most are just smoker or non smoker.
If you by chance got your life insurance before you became a smoker and you start smoking after you receive the policy the insurance company cannot change the non smoker rating to smoker. So by cancelling your policy thinking your going to get better rates or pricing would be crazy to do. There are many types of life insurance. make sure that before you commit to buying anything that you get an agent that explains the different types of insurance so that you can choose what is right for you and your family. Jumping ship in the middle of your insurance will usually not work to your benefit as it is rated on your age and the mortality rate scale. Not like vehicle insurance where the price goes down as your vehicle gets older. With us as you get older the costs go up.
And if you are a medical marajuana smoker you will likely be declined life insurance. Not just for smoking weed but because you are ill with a terminal ailment or illness that restricts your time here on earth. So you will likley not qualify for ife insurance.
If you hav any other questions I'd be glad to answer..... good night all!!!!
 
FWIW, I just purchased a second policy from Prudential and I got the non-smoker rate.
 
I am Manic-Depressive and because of this I could not get insurance or pay for the thousands of dollars worth of medications I need. People with mental illness can be just as physically healthy as anyone!

I hate insurance companies!
 
I just shopped a bunch of online quote tools and Prudential did indeed not give a distinction between not using tobacco of any kind within the last 3 years and current usage of pipe smoking/snuff/chew. It calls this "non-smoker plus".

But, YMMV depending on the coverage amount, age, other medical conditions which this tool doesn't account for.

I think I may indeed go with Prudential based on the pricing of everything at the coverage I want and given that I can't go back in time and not have the health conditions I have nor tell myself to stop smoking pipe or cigars in the past 3-5 years. :roll: 

It's gonna cost me, but it's better than no coverage at all... :oops:

[edit]FWIW, another thing I read is that paying annual vs. monthly will further reduce the cost. [/edit]
 
"Not like vehicle insurance where the price goes down as your vehicle gets older. With us as you get older the costs go up."

-- Now there's an example of the sort of shrewd insider knowledge you can expect from your liife insurance sales person.
 
Update: I went with Prudential as well. Medical exam end of the week, but hey, it's better than the cigarette smoker's rate.

I figure I have all the bad health things going for me except diabetes. They're all kept under control with meds, but it's probably not helping my rate. Nor that I'm a male. But it's not going to get any cheaper, so might as well add it now.
 
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