E-Cigs and Health Insurance
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I switched to non smoker this last time enrollment came around. But we dont have mandatory physicals or anything.
I know that my life insurance policy gave me a smokers rating even though it's been 3 years. Not sure about health insurance, guess it would depend on blood work done or any other tests they do that would pick up nicotine in your system.
Yeah, that was really the basis of my question. Some companies do tests for the levels in your system. While the nicotine itself isn't overly harmful, I doubt they acknowledge the difference that we're receiving our nicotine in a much safer form than analogs.
They have no way of knowing if youre using the patch, nicotine gum or an electronic cigarette.
I believe that's exactly the point! Tobacco smoke is the cause of disease, so, the only 'fair' way to tell if you have additional health risks would be the monoxide test... If you're using the patch / gum, you would test negative for monoxide, and positive for cotinine. Alas, that also means that you'll problably have a sucess rate below 10%. So, insurance companies seem to look at it this way: "OK, you may be not smoking now, but it is almost certain that you will revert to smoking in the near future."
So, we seem to be always on the losing side on this matter, because:
1) Governements allow the sale of 'medicines' that only work less than 10% of the times (Would that be an acceptable sucess rate for the other, 'serious' medicines? Diabetes control, blood pressure control, etc ??
)2) Those same governements refuse to see the PV for what really is: an effective quit method, at least 5 times more effective than the approved NRT'S (See the Dr Pollosa study)
What a load of crap...
My company specifically states that using electronic cigarettes disqualifies you from the "tobacco-free" discount. I claimed it anyway. Their ignorance about the properties and function of a particular product shouldn't effect my wallet.
Which is an absolute shame, because they asked if you are a SMOKER, not a nicotine user. If you marked non-smoker, you're technically telling the truth.
And what if someone actually was nicotine free at the time of questioning (never touched it in their life), and one day they decide to start?
If a company fired me over that, it's not a company I'd want to work for. If they're dumb enough to waste time and money on firing me, hiring another person and training them, rather than the 30 seconds it would take for some HR secretary to change my smokers status, well then I'd RATHER find other work. I don't surround myself with stupid people.
So I can use her-on and mark the box that says "non-smoker" on the insurance form.....nice.
Until my company gives me a drug test of course.
Until my company gives me a drug test of course.
I got tested today, they test and will keep testing till insurance companies have no political pull(never).Its not that hard to make yourself not come up as a "smoker" but will be harder each year.
I was 9 months tobacco/smoke free during my health insurance's open enrollement this year. I marked non-smoker for the first time in 30 some years - that felt good. $25 smoking fee removed from my premium costs each month.
I need to have a sleep study done tomorrow night for a sleep disorder (sleep deprivation secondary to sleep apnea). They said I need to have no caffeine or alcohol past 3 pm for the overnight sleep study. I asked about could I use my nicotine replacement vaporizer, explaining that it makes a nicotine mist and works just like nicotine patches and gum. The nurse said as long as it didn't make smoke, it would be fine. I was actually shocked by this, fully expecting to have to spend an entire 16 hours without my nicotine juice.
I need to have a sleep study done tomorrow night for a sleep disorder (sleep deprivation secondary to sleep apnea). They said I need to have no caffeine or alcohol past 3 pm for the overnight sleep study. I asked about could I use my nicotine replacement vaporizer, explaining that it makes a nicotine mist and works just like nicotine patches and gum. The nurse said as long as it didn't make smoke, it would be fine. I was actually shocked by this, fully expecting to have to spend an entire 16 hours without my nicotine juice.
I'm an insurance agent. I don't do a lot of health insurance but I do a lot of life insurance for Farmers Insurance. The application for a life insurance policy doesn't ask if you are a smoker; the choices are "Nicotine" or "non Nicotine". If I were completing an application for myself, I would have to mark the "Nicotine" box.
I emailed my sales/underwriting team for clarification, specifically for the use of the PV (Electronic Cigarette) containing nicotine.
I emailed my sales/underwriting team for clarification, specifically for the use of the PV (Electronic Cigarette) containing nicotine.
That's upsetting. Why don't they just add a "Caffeine" or "Non Caffeine" box while they're at it.
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