Tips on Classification of Smokers

Life insurance for cigar smokers may cost less than life insurance for heavy smokers. Use the following tips to understand how smokers are classified. Tip 1. Insurers Assign Classes Based on Individual Standards • There is no one rule book that every insurer plays by. Each has their own policies for review and evaluation of life insurance applications. That’s good news for smokers. • A significant portion of the population engages in some form of tobacco use (including snuff, cigarettes, gum, patches, etc.). Increasingly, insurance carriers are evaluating applications involving life insurance for smokers on an individualized basis. Tip 2. Individual Standards and Individualized Evaluations Mean Better Rates • Some companies do not classify applicants with only trace amounts of nicotine in their systems as smokers. Non-smokers receive better rates. • Some companies make classifications based on amount and type of usage. For example, snuff users may be classified differently than cigarette smokers and occasional cigar smokers may be classified differently than cigarette smokers. • It is important to share as much information as you can with your agent so that your situation can be clearly understood and the best rate assigned.