To some life insurance carriers, a person who smokes cigars may seem no different from a person who smokes cigarettes, and therefore they should be rated the same. It may be important for cigar smokers’ life insurance seekers to be aware of which carriers feel this way so that they can be sure not to apply for life insurance with them. Applying with these carriers puts cigar smokers at risk of being rated the same as cigarette smokers are, which will typically mean higher premium rates to be paid out than if the cigar smoker were rated differently.
An applicant for life insurance for cigar smokers with some insurance companies must be tobacco free for three full years. If they do smoke no more than one cigar per month and their urine tests negative for nicotine, they may be eligible for a Preferred Plus Non Tobacco rating. To read more about how the ratings work, read our life insurance for smokers.
Some insurance companies may be a bit more lenient towards cigar smokers than others. For an individual to potentially qualify for the Preferred Non Tobacco rating with some life insurance companies they must be within the following guidelines:
–They must make the disclosure on the initial application
–They must not smoke any more than one cigar per week
–Urine must be free of nicotine for 12 months prior to the exam.
–There must not be any tobacco use besides infrequent cigars.
Many cigar smokers may consider such a policy to be the resolution to getting an affordable life insurance for cigar smokers’ policy.
With some insurance companies, an applicant may be able to test positive for nicotine and still qualify for a Non Tobacco rate. This rate does tend to be expensive as the applicant can smoke as many cigars as they want and it is acceptable for their urine testing to show that nicotine is present.
There are various scenarios for cigar smokers’ life insurance so it is advised that when a cigar smoker looking for life insurance is ready to apply, they may want to speak with an agent who will be able to lead them in the right direction to purchasing the best policy. Cigar smokers life insurance may not be rated the same as cigarette smokers and an experienced agent may be able to see to it that they are not treated the same way.
Learn how you may save money on life insurance rates after quitting smoking in the article “How to Find Non Tobacco Life Insurance Rates after Quitting.”
