Today i was informed (quite rudely i might add) that all my valiant efforts to get off the analogs were unappreciated. As it turns out my health insurance certifies my vaping as being no different than my smoking. Apparently they cant feel what i feel every time i go up a flight of stairs or wake up to a happy wife because i didnt snore all night. Or be there in the morning when i blow my nose and theres no blood. Or to hear my dr say man your lungs sound 1000 times better than this time last year, what have you done? And to think i was soooooo excited to finally certify as a non tobacco user. Yes thats how the question is asked on the annual enrollment form. Just feeling really down like all the air was let out of my ballon. Anyone else going through this?
Are you as depressed as I right now?
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While it wasn't my reason to start vaping, it would be nice to be able to pay less for our insurance since we are now non-smokers. The ins companies are idiots. They just do a nic test. I guess I shouldn't call them idiots since it makes more money for them.
I feel for you 
It is a crap shoot whether the insurance carrier, each person has, considers vaping as smoking or not. I hope in my lifetime we can get this changed. They see nicotine as a great income grab.
Just remember how you DO feel when you do activities and that your wife is thrilled.
It is a crap shoot whether the insurance carrier, each person has, considers vaping as smoking or not. I hope in my lifetime we can get this changed. They see nicotine as a great income grab.
Just remember how you DO feel when you do activities and that your wife is thrilled.
My insurance company doesn't know I smoke, none of there business. It's Friday and I'm not depressed cuz I got paid and got the weekend off!
We can hope that all will eventually become enlightened to the benefits of vaping and that people will realize that nicotine inhalation is NOT smoking.
Until that day comes we'll deal with it, won't we?
Until that day comes we'll deal with it, won't we?
Yeah, it is a shame, but remember they are using statistics to rate people. And it seems to them that if you are on nicotine replacement, be it , gum, patches, vaping, the fact of the matter is there is always the chance you would go back to smoking, IF they were not available. For me that is the truth, without vaping, I would be smoking. What about you?
Sorry i guess i gave some the wrong idea. I can clear it up. I didnt commit to vaping for the insurance. Did it for better health. Felt like crap on the analogs. But whats depressing is that starting next year if you certify as a non tobacco user its $100 per month discount. Verrrry excited for that. Just found out about it last night at work. But yes deal with it we shall.
Hmmm. $100...my doctor knows I quit smoking. Maybe I should call the insurance company. Thanks
The difference between heating nicotine to vapor temp and inhaling vs combusting nicotine, is what????? I mean in both cases cigs and vape you are potentially inhaling toxic nicotine, not to mention the OTHER chemicals used to create flavors and analogs. So since the MAIN purpose or both nicotine delivery systems, is the same. Why should they be treated differently by insurance? Not saying it's fair, but I get it.
Is your health care provided by your employer?
Most if not all insurance companies will consider you a current smoker if the byproduct of nicotine (Cotinine) is found during a urinalysis.
One to two weeks before they do their yearly check start vaping 0mg liquids and then continue on once the testing is complete. My wife has to do this as she works for a hospital and their insurance company requires a urinalysis yearly. It's worked for the past two years that she has been vaping. It certainly has helped lower her premiums a considerable amount.
Most if not all insurance companies will consider you a current smoker if the byproduct of nicotine (Cotinine) is found during a urinalysis.
One to two weeks before they do their yearly check start vaping 0mg liquids and then continue on once the testing is complete. My wife has to do this as she works for a hospital and their insurance company requires a urinalysis yearly. It's worked for the past two years that she has been vaping. It certainly has helped lower her premiums a considerable amount.
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You inhale toxins when you start your car in the morning. We inhale toxins everyday. There is a certain amount of toxin that our bodies handle that won't harm us.
Alcohol is a toxin... does my health Insurance go up, my life insurance policy or heck my car insurance because I have a beer, wine or scotch.. does yours?
I used to bungee jump for fun. Did my health insurance go up? Life?
I'll stop there.
Nicotine is not toxic at low levels - see alcohol.
Now you sure you want to keep drinking water.. Here is the current list of contaminants and the amount generally acceptable in our drinking water.
Drinking Water Contaminants | Drinking Water Contaminants | US EPA
How absolutely 100% true. +1
I'd add: "My doctor". I vape 'cause IIIi want to. If others see it as "still smoking" I couldn't care less if I tried really hard. Then still hate me, ya know?
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My understanding (rightly or not) is that insurance companies charge more for smokers because smokers tend to have more illnesses and some expensive ones (COPD and Cancer, for example). Most of those illnesses are the result of the other crap in cigarettes, not the nicotine. But I am guessing that until enough time passes for it to be clear that vaping doesn't result in serious (read, expensive) illnesses, insurance companies aren't going to budge.
My company had us do a cotene test. So even the patch, gum or anything that has nicotine in it qualifies us as smokers. Just something to add to the mix.
Don't be depressed dhramman, while saving money on your insurance would have been an excellent bonus, just remember all the other benefits of vaping, like living who knows how many years longer, and a healthier more pleasant life, better taste, better sense of smell, not giving money to the tobacco companies, not smelling like an ashtray and the myriad of other benefits!
its a shame they view it that way. Advice I thought I'd never give is next time.....LIE!!
They are never going to budge. Insurance companies are in business for profit, and they will do everything in their power to preserve revenue streams. They have testing criteria now to justify increased premiums - they are not likely to willingly give money up just because the test is irrelevant; the precedent is set, the revenue expectation is a standard. It happens - income tax, for example, was a temporary war measure.....
Legally nicotine replacement therapy NRT products such as the gum or the patch are NOT tobacco products. They are classified as medications/drugs by the FDA. For ACA they have given a rough usage guide of using a "tobacco" product more than 3 times per week to qualify as a tobacco user for premium increases. NRT discrimination to my knowledge, has never been challanged, but an individual would most likely win. (From memory, research was done for a paper in grad school)
The FDA has classed e-cigs as a tobacco product, as opposed to a medication. This has huge implications for our purposes. This is what needs to be challanged, and won to protect vaping. E-liquid as a medication/drug means vapors rights go up exponentially. I.e. it potentially would stall regulations for years for end users. It would also mean big pharm would potentially become a major ally. Food for thought.
The FDA has classed e-cigs as a tobacco product, as opposed to a medication. This has huge implications for our purposes. This is what needs to be challanged, and won to protect vaping. E-liquid as a medication/drug means vapors rights go up exponentially. I.e. it potentially would stall regulations for years for end users. It would also mean big pharm would potentially become a major ally. Food for thought.
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