Aflac considers e-cigarette as tabaco product.

[Tekkamaki]

This morning, I attended a mandartory meeting at work. It was a meeting given by Aflac.
It all sounded great until when I was told that I had to pay almost twice as much premium as non-somoker do since I vape. Aflac considers e-cigarette as tabaco product. What the heck is wrong with them?

 

[Archer]

I think its just an excuse to charge more.

 

[Starlight682]

well then they should charge more for caffeine drinkers too cause that's what my doctor said nicotine alone is similar too. Though i agree with Archer any way they can charge you more they will

 

[MikenGA]

Yep...follow the money.

Are nic gum or patches considered tobacco products, too?

 

[lord skeleton]

just hold off on vaping for 72 hours to flush it out of your system.

 

[cavibird2005]

Wow, just wow...

 

[Maximillian]

Are nic gum or patches considered tobacco products, too?

A place where I spend a large amount of my time told me I can't vape inside. The reason, since it has nicotine in it, it's considered a tobacco product. And tobacco products cannot be used indoors.

Supposedly, the no tobacco products indoors rule, as compared to just no smoking indoors, was put in place to keep ppl from using chew/dip, and avoid the messes those products can create.

Lumping vaping in with chew/dip just seems vindictive, spiteful and narrowminded to me.

So now, I'm just WAITING to find out someone is using nicotine gum/patch/inhaler in the place. Then I'm gonna scream my bloody head off about no nicotine products indoors.


Maximillian the Vaguely Disreputable

 

[stephen1979]

That's been the policy at my work for several years now. You have to be tobacco free for two years to become free of the added premium. Which includes all nicotine substitutes. I think the other prescription smoking cessation drugs are OK, though. And since I work at an insurance company, I'm pretty sure they have the best drug testing available to find out if someone is cheating. Not to mention, I'm sure the spy on their employees like they do for insurance applicants.

 

[hairball]

So I guess if someone likes to eat a bunch of tomatoes daily they are considered smokers also? Since when do we light up tobacco? And like MikenGA said, are nic gum or patches considered tobacco products too? What a crock of doodles! Every company is out to try to squeeze the public for more money. I would tell Aflac to stuff their policy where the sun doesn't shine and go with another company.

 

[wabbit]

What would be AFLAC's reasoning if someone was vaping 0mg nicotine in a non-tobacco flavor? PG and VG are used in all sorts of consumer products (as well as medical products).

 

[vaporbird]

So now, I'm just WAITING to find out someone is using nicotine gum/patch/inhaler in the place. Then I'm gonna scream my bloody head off about no nicotine products indoors.


Maximillian the Vaguely Disreputable

Please do I hate it when rules are enforced selectively.

 

[vaporbird]

What would be AFLAC's reasoning if someone was vaping 0mg nicotine in a non-tobacco flavor? PG and VG are used in all sorts of consumer products (as well as medical products).

As a 0mg smoker I'd loooove to know this.

When people ask if I smoke I just say "no" I don't.

 

[MTV]

I think it is because they test for a nicotine byproduct...cotinine...as a test for tobacco users. They are not going to change their procedures just to allow ecig users to get a lower premium...no matter the health improvements. They should really be testing for elevated carbon monoxide levels...just my

 

[Michael Curry]

NO surprise here. Between government and insurance companies, it's a close call as to which is the bigger den of thieves.

 

[nakin1014]

But isn't it the chemicals in the cig that are harmful. I know the nicotine is the addiction but that's not what hurts you.

 

[Michael Curry]

True. But what actually harms you isn't what the insurance company cares about. What will let them charge more, is important to them though.

Of course, insurance companies are regulated by laws... And they have the best laws money can buy.

 

[NikonGirl]

They should really be testing for elevated carbon monoxide levels...just my

I agree. Or any other chemical/toxin only found in people who smoke. Since I eat vegetables, nicotine would be present. Since I use VG in my homemade body mist, it would be present. Not to mention its in moisturizers, shampoo's. conditioners, etc. Same with PG. It's sad but the bottom line is always money. Just like chicken: Pump a chicken full of hormones to make it bigger. More meat equals more money but they only have to pay to feed 1 chicken instead of 2. Do they care that the hormones harm the people who consume it? No, theyre thinking about how much more money they need to buy their next beach house. Does Aflac care that vaping is healthier than smoking? Of course not! Theyre looking for an excuse so they can buy a beach house too.

 

[ProsperityGal]

I don't know what to think about this AFLAC thing, really.

If we are getting nicotine from vaping, then we are still getting it into our system. Can that be tested and found as if we were smoking?

Would an insurance policy be null and void if we said that we did not smoke, then we died of something, and it was found that we vaped?

 

[Eddie.Willers]

...Would an insurance policy be null and void if we said that we did not smoke, then we died of something, and it was found that we vaped?

Betcha' last buck they'd find a way to avoid paying out...

 

[DaveP]

Prosperity Gal said: I don't know what to think about this AFLAC thing, really.

If we are getting nicotine from vaping, then we are still getting it into our system. Can that be tested and found as if we were smoking?

Would an insurance policy be null and void if we said that we did not smoke, then we died of something, and it was found that we vaped?

You wouldn't care, but your beneficiaries would. I don't know how they would be able to find out, but I'm sure there's a way. Hearsay wouldn't be enough (asking your friends and neighbors). I've never heard of a nicotine sample being tested for cotinine on a corpse, but there's always a first time.

It's ridiculous how stringent our regulations are getting. Companies are not hiring smokers these days and vaping, although it's accepted by most doctors as a good alternative to cigarettes. We are soon to be outcasts.

Wait until they decide not to hire anyone who weighs more than the actuarial tables say. Wait! Fat people are a protected group! They'll get theirs with the Fat Tax on fast food. Wait for it ... it's coming.