My Husband Quit Smoking Cigarettes 7 Years Ago, But Occasionally Chews Nicotine Gum. Would he be Considered at Smokers Rates, When Applying for Life Insurance?

When you are looking for life insurance in Coppell, Texas, determining whether you are classified as a smoker is an important part of getting the best deals. Although every insurance policy varies, as your independent agent, it is our responsibility to ensure you know the basics of classification before you apply for any coverage. Life insurance requires complete honesty, so you need to apply for the right type of coverage to get the best rates and options.

Time from Quitting

Every company will have a different length of time before an individual qualifies for non-smoker rates. In most cases, non-smoker rates are available within one to three years of quitting, though the exact amount of time will vary.

Impact of Nicotine Gum

Although you may quit smoking actual cigarettes, the tests used to determine if you are a non-smoker are often related to materials within the cigarette, including nicotine. As a result, most life insurance companies will consider you a smoker, even if you are not actually using cigarettes, cigars or other forms of tobacco.

Being a nicotine user in any form means that you are often classified as a smoker, even if you have not touched a cigarette for several years. Despite the fact that most companies will still classify you as a smoker, it is important to realize that every company has different policies and some may allow you to get a non-smoker rate in certain situations.

Quitting cigarettes or any other form of tobacco is usually a great way to cut back on your life insurance rates. The downside is that nicotine gum or patches can interfere with accurate determinations and you might not qualify if you use nicotine gum. If you want to know more about qualifying for non-smoker rates, talk to one of our independent agents today.