PV's - Lower insurance rates and coaching.

[ChancesR]

Hi everyone, thanks for all the tips and advice on here. I've been lurking a couple months and a subjects come up about keeping lower insurance rates by not smoking. I know my rates for medical insurance more than doubled my monthly deduction when I declared I was a smoker. Someone else I know had to join a non-smokers coaching plan to save $50 a month from premiums. My understanding is they can give nicotine test to determine if a person has quit. So I hadn't seen any threads and wondered if others experience the same (I'm sure some do.) Looking for knowledge on the subject. I'm also curious how long it takes nicotine to leave the system or if insurance programs are accepting of PV's, any tips?

BTW: I'm a DYI Vaper but easing off of analogs and I think E-cigs are going to work.

Thanks
ChancesR

 

[Mdemon]

Being an insurance agent myself I can say that so far companies have not yet differentiated the use of e-cigs from analogs. Unless you're puffin' on 0mg juice you'll still have nicotine (or what is actually tested for- cotinine) in your system. Whether its from analogs or your e-cig it'll show up and you will be classed as a smoker. Even when you completely stop all nic it can take from 5 to maybe 20 days for your body to cleanse itself though trace amounts may show for some months. Drinking lots of water, exercising and vitamin C can help speed the process.
Regardless of how long it takes to be undetectable, the more important consideration is to be truthful with your insurance company. Even if you pass a nic test, in the future, should a claim have to be made & in the course of their investigations they find (from your personal doctor for example) you were still a smoker (read: using nicotine) they would construe it as fraud & may deny your claim & refund your premiums.
Once you're completely off nic though, after 1 year you CAN get a premium reduction from your ins co. so there is that.

-sigh- I know vaping is SOOOO much better than analogs.....I know the detrimental part of smoking is the burning compounds, tar & 4000+ chemicals, all of which is NOT in my vape.....I know nic in itself in small amounts is about as dangerous to me as caffeine.....I DO feel the difference in my health, stamina & all round awesomeness.....
but the insurance industry just hasn't caught up with the trend as yet & may not for some time still.

 

[dlsw]

Why don't they switch to CO testing?

 

[ChancesR]

Thanks Mdemon, it's pretty much what I expected and the coaching will come soon but I can't say it's welcome if they don't approve vaping. I suppose it's going to be thanks but no-thanks. Appreciate your awesomeness, thank-you.

Being an insurance agent myself I can say that so far companies have not yet differentiated the use of e-cigs from analogs. Unless you're puffin' on 0mg juice you'll still have nicotine (or what is actually tested for- cotinine) in your system. Whether its from analogs or your e-cig it'll show up and you will be classed as a smoker. Even when you completely stop all nic it can take from 5 to maybe 20 days for your body to cleanse itself though trace amounts may show for some months. Drinking lots of water, exercising and vitamin C can help speed the process.
Regardless of how long it takes to be undetectable, the more important consideration is to be truthful with your insurance company. Even if you pass a nic test, in the future, should a claim have to be made & in the course of their investigations they find (from your personal doctor for example) you were still a smoker (read: using nicotine) they would construe it as fraud & may deny your claim & refund your premiums.
Once you're completely off nic though, after 1 year you CAN get a premium reduction from your ins co. so there is that.

-sigh- I know vaping is SOOOO much better than analogs.....I know the detrimental part of smoking is the burning compounds, tar & 4000+ chemicals, all of which is NOT in my vape.....I know nic in itself in small amounts is about as dangerous to me as caffeine.....I DO feel the difference in my health, stamina & all round awesomeness.....
but the insurance industry just hasn't caught up with the trend as yet & may not for some time still.

 

[sailorman]

Why don't they switch to CO testing?

Because they're not interested in whether you're actually smoking or not. If they ever decide to differentiate, they might do that. For now, all forms of tobacco use, including Snus and vaping, is the same.

Don't hold your breath waiting for them to "accept" e-cigs. They know that if they did that, someone could lapse after the policy was issued and they couldn't prove it. Until there is a cheap test that detects smoking and no other form of tobacco use, they won't differentiate between one form of tobacco and another.

From other posts here, it seems some people have been told by their life insurance agents that if they're vaping, they qualify for non-smoking rates. I suggest that if anyone is told that, they insist on a rider, a written attachment, to their poilcy. Agents will tell you anything. They get their check one way or the other. By the time you figure out they're misinformed or lying, you'll be dead and your beneficiaries will be looking at a check that reflects your premiums paid and no more.

 

[ChancesR]

Why don't they switch to CO testing?

Now there's a compromise, better results on breathing test.

 

[Mdemon]

*cough *cough......still in the room sailorman.....
hehe SOME of us agents ain't that bad & yes are truthful for the most part....
(What's that honey? A hot girl with tig bitties and legs that go up to her neck just came into the bar and was eyeing me in a manner most lascivious? Sorry didn't really notice...I was staring into your beautiful eyes thinking about how lucky I was to have you here with me....)

But yes i agree.....if any agent tells you vaping anything other than 0% nic juice gets you non-smoking rates he's lying and you need to politely excuse yourself and call me!
errrr....i mean find a better insurance rep lol (They ARE out there!)

You're quite welcome ChancesR Always happy to be of service to a fellow vaper.

 

[sailorman]

*cough *cough......still in the room sailorman.....
hehe SOME of us agents ain't that bad & yes are truthful for the most part......

Hehe, I should have said SOME agents will tell you anything. I don't want to indict an entire industry. There are at least as many honest insurance agent's as honest car salesmen. Hahaha.... just kidding. I was one myself for many years, (an insurance agent, not a car salesman!).

It is true though that if you're applying for a life ins. policy that requires no physical and is issued with minimal underwriting, an agent can lie to you about this issue with virtually no chance of getting caught unless he's forced to put it in writing. Considering the pressure life ins. agents are under to produce, produce, produce..it's no surprise that some of them succumb to the temptation to wink and nod at less than totally honest information on an application.

"What? the insured checked the non-smoker box? I had no idea. Those poor orphans. Whatever will they do."

 

[ChancesR]

Interesting, so just playing devils advocate a second. If a non-smoker lives with a smoker, will the nicotine test come back positive on the non-smoker?

 

[r77r7r]

last year someone said that they were approved by American Income Life.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/health-safety-e-smoking/204680-vaping-life-insurance.html

 

[Mdemon]

last year someone said that they were approved by American Income Life.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/health-safety-e-smoking/204680-vaping-life-insurance.html

That company is.....slightly.....errrrr.....a bit .....ummmm.....They have a bad rep.....yeah.....

Interesting, so just playing devils advocate a second. If a non-smoker lives with a smoker, will the nicotine test come back positive on the non-smoker?

No it won't. The levels of cotinine in a non-smoker (even one with a heart of gold willing to put up with close daily intimate moments with their lawfully wedded ashtray) are nowhere near as high as for a smoker or even a recent ex-smoker.

..it's no surprise that some of them succumb to the temptation to wink and nod at less than totally honest information on an application.

"What? the insured checked the non-smoker box? I had no idea. Those poor orphans. Whatever will they do."

Not the poor orphans! Noooo! Whyyyyyy!!!!! oh the humanity... *sniff

 

[ChancesR]

No it won't. The levels of cotinine in a non-smoker (even one with a heart of gold willing to put up with close daily intimate moments with their lawfully wedded ashtray) are nowhere near as high as for a smoker or even a recent ex-smoker.

Lawfully wedded ashtray lol...but she smokes and jokes too. So they do a quantitative and qualitative analysis, got ya. I suppose they'll have to coach me down from nic one mg at a time.

Thanks

 

[r77r7r]

That company is.....slightly.....errrrr.....a bit .....ummmm.....They have a bad rep.....yeah....."


I'd be very happy if you could provide info on policy holders' dissatisfaction, all I could find was info on the dissatisfaction of their agents and employees.

 

[Hostile 1]

I've been lurking a couple months

I like how you put that LMFAO! I have also been LURKIN around and now i am forced to join because i have a question to ask someone! I just wish there wasn't a 5 post min to unlock the forum !

 

[sailorman]

That company is.....slightly.....errrrr.....a bit .....ummmm.....They have a bad rep.....yeah.....

American Income Life doesn't have a bad rep. with policy holders. They have a problem with agents because they hire newbie agents, pay a draw and if you don't sell, you end up owing them money. Consequently, you get a lot of disgruntled slackers who quit and owe the company money. That was actually the first company I ever worked for, back in 1981. It's the only unionized ins. company in the country and markets mainly to union members. (At least they did back then, when unions existed in the U.S.) They're not the most huge company in the world, but they pay their claims and, IME, were actually very fair with their policy holders. In fact, the first person I ever wrote a policy on and who subsequently died was written with that company. The guy was 5'9 275lbs, smoked and looked like walking death when he signed the application. He died of a heart attack a week after I wrote the policy and before it had actually even been issued or a premium had been paid. It was only $40K, but they paid off with no question or delay. A lot of companies would have been invoking weasel clauses and hunting for pre-existing conditions to avoid paying off. I took some ribbing in the office, but I was happy for his kids. They weren't wealthy by any stretch. Still got my full commission too.

 

[Iffy]

(At least they did back then, when unions existed in the U.S.)