Frustrating call from my "Quit Coach!"

[sierrabravo]

FYI:
Some insurance companies will require a urine test for continine (a nicotine metabolite) for a person to be considered a "non-smoker". vaping eliquid (with nicotine) gives a positive for this test, so these insurance companies would consider this person a smoker.

I think you may be confusing life insurance companies with health insurance companies.
I am unaware of any health insurance companies viewing tobacco usage as a preexisting condition, but many offer healthy lifestyle coaching and advice as well as discounts on gyms, weight watchers, etc.
My particular insurance company likes to have a "nurse" call me every-so-often to check on my wellbeing and make sure that I'm eating all my green vegetables and that my diabetes is in check (even though they can't do anything about the contradictory coverage policies that the company they represent has). Still makes me feel all warm and fuzzy though.

 

[Sandrita]

Good for you! You have quit tobacco which is why we all want to stop. Some people just choose vaping instead

 

[Coil]

Congrats to you! As some others have said ECF is my new "Stop Smokig Coach." I don't blame you for kicking that person to the curb! I recently saw a new doctor since I couldn't get an appt. with my primary and told him I was quitting smoking. He said "Good for you! Cold turkey... patch... gum???" I said, No, I'm actually starting An Ecig tomorrow... I pretty much got a very similar lecture. It's not FDA approved an blah blah blah... I understand they gotta do their job but how about a Hey... It would prolly be better to just quit all together but I'm happy your making a HEALTHIER change!?!?!?

 

[TomCatt]

I think you may be confusing life insurance companies with health insurance companies.
I am unaware of any health insurance companies viewing tobacco usage as a preexisting condition, but many offer healthy lifestyle coaching and advice as well as discounts on gyms, weight watchers, etc.
My particular insurance company likes to have a "nurse" call me every-so-often to check on my wellbeing and make sure that I'm eating all my green vegetables and that my diabetes is in check (even though they can't do anything about the contradictory coverage policies that the company they represent has). Still makes me feel all warm and fuzzy though.

Could be, I confuse easily . If so, thanks for catching that and I apologize for causing any confusion to any others.

 

[Princessdee]

I think you may be confusing life insurance companies with health insurance companies.
I am unaware of any health insurance companies viewing tobacco usage as a preexisting condition, but many offer healthy lifestyle coaching and advice as well as discounts on gyms, weight watchers, etc.
My particular insurance company likes to have a "nurse" call me every-so-often to check on my wellbeing and make sure that I'm eating all my green vegetables and that my diabetes is in check (even though they can't do anything about the contradictory coverage policies that the company they represent has). Still makes me feel all warm and fuzzy though.

Hubby started a new job last week. The health insurance paperwork asks "Have you or your spouse used nicotine in the last 12 months?" if yes, it's $18 A WEEK more for the health insurance. Only way to get that charge off is to go through their "nicotine cessation program" with a coach. Oh, and "free nicotine patches"

So, yeah, it may be for health insurance also.
(Yes, we have used nicotine. No, we're not going through your "program" here's your stupid money)

 

[want to quit]

I would have laughed my .... off if he stands next to me all serious and goes like "listen I highly recommend you to stop using e-cig they are very unhealthy for you" "Oh really what are some of the risk?" "I don't know" +1 for the quit coach love it.

 

[Bozzlite]

My Quit Coach was pushing Chantix.

Well, there ya go.

 

[jj2]

I use ECF as my quit support team.Theres always someone helpful and friendly here to talk to.We can all just help eachother,lol.What more could you want?

 

[Twisty]

About 10 years ago when getting a divorce I had to get my own private health insurance and a large life insurance policy. I was told by both companies that in order to get the non-smoker rate I would have to pass a test that could determine if I had used any nicotine product in the last year.

I can understand their point. As long as a person is still nicotine depended the chance of relapsing is high. How many here can honestly say you wouldn't light a cig if nic juice was no longer available?

 

[TomCatt]

About 10 years ago when getting a divorce I had to get my own private health insurance and a large life insurance policy. I was told by both companies that in order to get the non-smoker rate I would have to pass a test that could determine if I had used any nicotine product in the last year.

I can understand their point. As long as a person is still nicotine depended the chance of relapsing is high. How many here can honestly say you wouldn't light a cig if nic juice was no longer available?

Honestly, after 127 days without a cigarette, if nic juice disappeared tomorrow; I'd probably try vaping w/o the nic and if that didn't work and I started the same type of withdrawal symptoms I had from quitting cigs before, I'd start smoking again.
But nicotine by itself doesn't have the intense addiction that smoking cigarettes has. Nicotine by itself doesn't have much more adverse health effects than caffeine. It's not the nicotine that causes the majority of "smoking related" health problems and deaths. So why should users of a safer form of nicotine (not just ecig users but snus users also) be penalized as smokers?

ETA: I believe that the chances of there not being nic juice available for the near term (say next 5 yrs) are very slim. Long term, there is the possibility that there may be no nic juice or tobacco available.

 

[LadyLynx]

You should have asked the quit coach if they were overwieght. I love the hypocrocy of some people that want to shove nic. addiction down your throat but won't admit that maybe they have a health problem that is less socially acceptable to lecture. I had a very heavy (and heavy weight) drinker tell me all about the evils of nicotine. People need to keep thier damn mouths shut.

I realize this person was paid to lecture you, but they should probably have a little more training ya think? There are too many blind followers out there that think the media and health organizations and government are the best mommies ever and would do nothing to hurt us. Good for you for questioning the MAN.

 

[WAC_Vet]

Hubby started a new job last week. The health insurance paperwork asks "Have you or your spouse used nicotine in the last 12 months?" if yes, it's $18 A WEEK more for the health insurance. Only way to get that charge off is to go through their "nicotine cessation program" with a coach. Oh, and "free nicotine patches"

So, yeah, it may be for health insurance also.
(Yes, we have used nicotine. No, we're not going through your "program" here's your stupid money)

So, how is it a nicotine cessation program if they give you nicotine patches? Shouldn't it be a smoking cessation program?

 

[CraigHB]

I recently saw a new doctor since I couldn't get an appt. with my primary and told him I was quitting smoking. He said "Good for you! Cold turkey... patch... gum???" I said, No, I'm actually starting An Ecig tomorrow... I pretty much got a very similar lecture. It's not FDA approved an blah blah blah...

Not all doctors are down on e-cigs. My wife actually got turned on to e-cigs by her doctor. Seems the ones that aren't simply hand wavers do the research and much prefer vaping to smoking for their patients.

 

[PaulB]

I am currently in the process of buying (or not...) some life insurance. At my age (in my 50s) and with my nicotine status, the monthly premium for the amount of coverage the agent thinks I should buy would be a Mercedes Benz payment. I'm contentedly in a strict five cigarettes or less a day zone, along with vaping, as I have been for a year and a half. The amount of the tobacco penalty (even if I go entirely to e-liquid) GALLS me to the extent that I think a bit about going back to full-time smoking--just to get my money's worth. (No, I won't really do that...) And, unfortunately, I doubt we'll see any breaks for e-cig users anytime soon. It's too new for solid actuarial data and too obscure for the industry to care.

 

[Coil]

Not all doctors are down on e-cigs. My wife actually got turned on to e-cigs by her doctor. Seems the ones that aren't simply hand wavers do the research and much prefer vaping to smoking for their patients.

Now that's what I like to hear! Congrats to your wife and to the doctor for offering her a healthier solution. It's always nice to hear the positive stories ya know...

My wife is 6 months pregnant and quit analogs once we found out she was prego. Since I quit smoking analogs it's helping her out alot and she says if she has any cravings for a Camel after the pregnancy she's going to an ecig. (( Patting myself on the back)) coughs.

 

[Twisty]

Honestly, after 127 days without a cigarette, if nic juice disappeared tomorrow; I'd probably try vaping w/o the nic and if that didn't work and I started the same type of withdrawal symptoms I had from quitting cigs before, I'd start smoking again.
But nicotine by itself doesn't have the intense addiction that smoking cigarettes has. Nicotine by itself doesn't have much more adverse health effects than caffeine. It's not the nicotine that causes the majority of "smoking related" health problems and deaths. So why should users of a safer form of nicotine (not just ecig users but snus users also) be penalized as smokers?

ETA: I believe that the chances of there not being nic juice available for the near term (say next 5 yrs) are very slim. Long term, there is the possibility that there may be no nic juice or tobacco available.

The thing is a year is a nice round number and corresponds with policy lengths. Add to this they have a test that can detect the effects that nicotine have on the body for 1 year.

 

[CraigHB]

On the topic of health insurance, I use a private indemnity plan that only covers major hospitalization (as opposed to group insurance through an employer that covers all medical). I'm coming up on a year vaping. I was thinking I could tell my carrier I am no longer a smoker, but I have a concern about that. If I ended up in the hospital would they find evidence of nicotine use thereby causing rejection of my insurance claim? So, should I keep the tobacco use premium on my insurance or is it safe to remove it?

 

[WomanOfHeart]

Some insurance companies don't differentiate between e-cig and cigarette use. Nicotine is nicotine in their eyes, so if you were to come up positive on a test they could cancel your insurance and any claims if you said you were a non-smoker. Since you're still paying the tobacco use premium, I would call and ask what their policy is first.

 

[CraigHB]

Probably a good idea, always better to ask then find out the hard way. Doesn't do much good to pay the premiums only to have your claim rejected.

 

[demon72]

Probably a good idea, always better to ask then find out the hard way. Doesn't do much good to pay the premiums only to have your claim rejected.

And how!

What is the wording in your contract..... is it nicotene related or smoking related.... cause I would figure that that would make a diference in the eyes of a judge. Even if it were tobaco related, isnt the nicotene in most juice made with synthetic nicotene (not technically a tobaco product I would think)