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As a tobacco user, finding insurance can be frustrating because the lowest rates go to nonsmokers. Smokers are classified as high-risk applicants, and insurers tend to charge higher rates to compensate for that risk. Here’s how long you’ll need to wait until nicotine fully leaves your system, opening up the possibility of passing your provider’s test.
Most blood tests will show if you’ve smoked within the last three weeks, depending on the test. It takes at least three days for nicotine to leave your blood, but insurance providers test for another compound — cotinine — that’s formed after nicotine enters your body. Cotinine can stay in your body for up to three weeks or longer.
Different tests are used to determine whether you have nicotine or cotinine in your system. Some are more sensitive than others, which can help measure the concentration of compounds in your system to determine whether you’re a smoker or simply live with one.
For a typical test, a medical professional takes a bodily sample to test for nicotine or cotinine. Here are four tests you might encounter.
Nicotine may stay in your system longer depending on your age, your health, how long you’ve been smoking and other factors.
Yes. You can buy nicotine test kits to use at home. They’re fairly easy to use, because they just need samples of your urine. They also tend to be fairly inexpensive.
Though home test kits may not give you a definitive reading, they can give you some confidence heading into a medical exam.
Life insurance companies split applicants into two categories: smokers and nonsmokers. Since smoking is linked to other health complications, like heart disease, cancer and respiratory issues, smokers are considered riskier to insure. As a result, insurers charge more expensive rates to those who test positive for nicotine. The reason isn’t subtle: If you’re a nicotine user, there’s a higher probability that your insurer will have to pay out your policy.
When you apply for a traditional life insurance policy, you’ll most likely need to take a medical exam. This is similar to a standard physical, and as part of it, you’ll likely be asked for a blood and urine sample. Your insurer will then run lab tests to determine your alcohol, drug and nicotine levels, and then use this information to set your rates.
If you use these tobacco products, your blood will test positive for nicotine:
While secondhand smoke can affect your health, your body doesn’t absorb it to the same extent as other direct smoking methods. So, secondhand smoke won’t show up on the nicotine test.
If you only puff a cigar once in a while, you might wonder whether that makes you a smoker to your insurer.
Some insurers will give you the smoker’s rate if you smoke cigars, even occasionally. However, others will classify you as a “non–tobacco user” as long as you smoke under a specified number of cigars per week or per month. When you’re comparing insurers, be sure to look into how lenient they are when it comes to occasional cigars.
Unfortunately, the only way to guarantee passing is to quit smoking.
However, quitting your nicotine habit before applying for life insurance does not mean that you’ll pass a nicotine test. Your ability to pass depends on many factors that include your health, how long you’ve been smoking, your smoking frequency and your overall diet.
Don’t just temporarily stop smoking for the sole reason of passing a life insurance medical exam. If you’re going to quit, make it permanent. Because if you start smoking after you’ve been cleared by your life insurance company, and your insurer finds out, it could put your policy’s death benefit at risk.
If you’re committed to staying tobacco-free, you might be able to help your body rid itself of nicotine and cotinine faster by embracing a few key changes to your diet and lifestyle. For example, consuming Vitamin C might help flush nicotine from your bloodstream. Plus, eating more fruits and vegetables could help decrease your cravings for cigarettes. Broccoli, spinach, kiwis and oranges are also fine choices.
If you have a strong feeling you won’t pass a nicotine test, you have two options:
You should always tell the truth about your smoking habits when applying for life insurance.
First, it’s illegal to lie about your smoking when applying for life insurance. And second, you don’t want the situation to arise where a nicotine test gives you away after you’ve said you were tobacco-free.
If your insurer later discovers that you were a smoker when you claimed you weren’t, they could deny paying out your death claim benefit to your loved ones. Alternatively, they could choose to pay the death benefit that your premium payments would have purchased at the smoker’s rate — meaning your beneficiaries could end up with less money.
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Nicotine use is a red flag for insurers, so you can expect to pay more for coverage if you regularly use tobacco products. If you’re a former smoker or a smoker who would rather not take the nicotine test, you can hold off on applying for coverage or opt for a no-medical exam policy. Either way, learn more about life insurance and be sure to compare providers to get the best possible rate.
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