e-cigs and health insurance

[catwoman]

Not sure if this belongs here, but
Has anyone had experience with trying to change their insurance from smoker to non-smoker. I have an individual plan, with a very big deductible because I smoke. At what point do you let them know? does nicotine affect your status (they can check for nic. in bloodwork when you are applying)
thanks for any thoughts

 

[BiffRocko]

Nicotine in your system wouldn't necessarily mean you smoke. You could be using snus or chew.

 

[YKruss]

Cat,

This thread might answer your question - http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/outside/108748-how-beat-nicotine-urinalysis-screening.html

 

[Vchick]

Hey Cat, I'm going to do some checking tomorrow at work, you raise a good point on this and since I work for a Health Ins. Company, go figure! We do have high deductible individual plans and I am curious to see what they say on this, will let ya know!

 

[CtryBoy]

Hey Cat, I'm going to do some checking tomorrow at work, you raise a good point on this and since I work for a Health Ins. Company, go figure! We do have high deductible individual plans and I am curious to see what they say on this, will let ya know!

Been a couple of days.hope you didnt get canned for asking.

I'm sure they'll have some excuse to lump vaping w/smoking or drop you for using non FDA approved device/med.

 

[Vchick]

Been a couple of days.hope you didnt get canned for asking.

I'm sure they'll have some excuse to lump vaping w/smoking or drop you for using non FDA approved device/med.

LOL, not! I did find out that most of the stuff is brokered out, so they do the screenings, etc. I will continue to dig and will keep you posted!

 

[aubergine]

I've been wondering about this for some time, have posted about it in here, and no one has been able to answer. Is someone who chronically uses the patch, or nicotine gum also vulnerable? Wondering about life insurance as well; I'd like to make my kids happy en passant. It is of course based on a nicotine blood-test screen - how would they distinguish?

 

[catwoman]

Still hoping for an answer as I will be renewing my very expensive individual plan and am hoping I can check the box marked non-smoker and drop my ridiculous premium. Thanks Vchick for checking this out.

 

[rockinred1011]

They would probably treat it the same as if you were using the patch or the gum right?

It's times like that when i'm thankful for universal healthcare

 

[nubee]

Last I read/heard, if the blood work shows nicotine, they consider you a tobacco user period.

 

[bearscreek]

Yeah, I'm sure it depends on the company, but I recently had a life insurance company charge me "tobacco" rates for any nicotine within the past year.

 

[Blank]

well thats kinda a kick in the face: smokers were damned if we do, and damned if we try to stop. sound about right?

 

[bearscreek]

It's kinda sad. I could have lied, but I wanted to be honest, and she kept asking if I had had nicotine in any form (and she listed all the regulars) within the past year. That fact that I had had nicotine made the rates much higher.

 

[nubee]

You mean you felt like your insurance company really didn't care about you?!?!?!?!?

 

[catwoman]

It figures, but it still is not what I wanted to hear. On the other hand, my risks are high given how many years I did smoke. All I can do is my best now.

 

[bearscreek]

I think maybe the best you can do is to wait a bit and then tell them you quit smoking so many months ago and hope they don't ask you specifically if you've had nic in ANY form. I really thought I was gonna be safe when she started listing things - until the very last thing she said - nic in ANY form. After that conversation, I said I'd have to call her back. When I called back, I got a guy who basically led me to believe that their reasoning is more that if you're still using nicotine your chances are high for falling off the wagon. He said something like "trying to come off it" as if it were in reference to people using gum and patches to quit smoking.