Advertorial Does smoking affect your health insurance?

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Given that smoking is a leading cause of preventable death and disease worldwide, it’s no surprise that health insurers take smoking into account in their underwriting process. In other words, whether or not you smoke will determine the level of risk you’re deemed to pose to the insurer and the terms and conditions of your insurance policy. Who is considered to be a smoker by insurers? Can smokers secure health insurance? And, most importantly, does smoking affect your health insurance premiums? In this article by our friends from Pacific Prime Thailand, we’ll answer these questions and so much more.

 

Please note that the specifics can vary from insurer to insurer, and the information presented here is by no means applicable to all insurers.

1. Who is considered to be a smoker by insurers?

First things first, it’s important to unpack the definition of a smoker. While there’s certainly a difference between a chain smoker and someone who only smokes occasionally, the stance that insurers take tends to be far less nuanced. Insurers typically consider an individual to be a smoker if they have used any form of tobacco products within the past year. This includes cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco, and e-cigarettes. Some insurers may also consider individuals who have used other forms of nicotine, such as nicotine gum or patches, to be smokers.

 

 

2. How do they determine an applicant’s smoking status?

In order to determine an individual's smoking status, insurance companies may ask applicants to fill out a health questionnaire that includes questions about their current and past smoking habits, including whether they currently smoke, how much they smoke, and how long they have been smoking for. The health questionnaire may also include questions about the use of other tobacco products and nicotine replacement therapy products. Some insurers may also require a nicotine test to confirm an applicant's smoking status, which can be done in various ways, such as a blood test, a urine test, or a saliva test.

3. Can you lie on your health insurance application form?

It may be tempting to lie about your smoking status on your health insurance application form - especially if you currently don’t smoke - and many applicants do indeed hide crucial information like this from insurers. Besides the fact that lying on your health insurance application form is unethical, it can also have significant consequences down the line. If the insurer finds out that you’ve lied about your smoker status through the results of any medical tests and/or consultation, they may either revoke your policy or refuse to process your claims. The end result is that you’ll be left without coverage when you least expect it.

4. What are your health insurance options as a smoker?

As a smoker, your health insurance options may be more limited compared to non-smokers. From lung cancers and heart diseases to stroke and other cardiovascular diseases, the number of health conditions associated with smoking is endless, which means that smokers are more likely than non-smokers to seek healthcare and make expensive claims. This negatively affects the loss ratio of health insurers who may want to pass off some of this burden to smokers. Some insurers may outrightly refuse to cover smokers, while others may agree to do so with a higher premium.

5. Are there ways to lower your health insurance premiums?

For those of you who are considered to be smokers by health insurers, you’ll be glad to know that one easy way to lower your health insurance premiums is to give up the unhealthy practice. You can kill two birds with one stone, saving money on both health insurance and tobacco products, as well as safeguarding your health and the health of those around you - something you certainly can’t put a price on. Giving up smoking may seem daunting, but it’s not impossible if you have the right support and willpower. Familiarizing yourself with the withdrawal symptoms and distracting yourself when you have the urge to smoke is a great start.

 

Whether or not you’re considered to be a smoker by health insurers, you’re more than welcome to learn about your health insurance options and/or secure a plan by reaching out to Pacific Prime Thailand. As a global health insurance brokerage, they’ve got 20+ years of experience helping expats like yourself navigate and simplify the world of health insurance. Contact them today!