Life Insurance for Smokers Over 50, Can I Get Coverage and at What Rate?

Smoking is a habit and stopping it may not be that easy. Smokers are more likely than non-smokers to die of respiratory diseases, stroke and cardiovascular complications. This is according to research carried out by the medical community in the United States. The medical research team found out that cigarette smoking is linked to health complications that occur in nearly all body organs. This, therefore, means that smoking plays a significant role in deteriorating your overall body health. But if have already hit 50 or 60 years and you haven’t quit smoking, should this get you worried about getting affordable life insurance?

Why Do Smokers Get Higher Life Insurance Rates?

If you are a chain or regular smoker, obtaining the right life insurance policy can help create an atmosphere of peace within your family. The naked truth is that life insurance costs more for smokers. If you smoke either cigarettes or marijuana, you should expect to pay higher premiums than non-smokers.

When applying for life insurance, there are various aspects that the insurer pays keen attention to. Ideally, they will have to check on your overall health and lifestyle habits. If you are a smoker, you must undergo a test for nicotine. They do all this to determine your health rate class, which eventually defines the amount of premium you are going to pay.

Some of the aspects that can significantly impact your life insurance rates include your overall health, age, and tobacco or marijuana usage. Keep in mind that cigarette smoking can act as an obstacle to finding quality and affordable life insurance coverage.

Note that insurance companies are not created the same in any way. These companies have different medical underwriting processes. This, therefore, means that each company views smokers in a different angle. The rates are also different based on the company you choose. So, obtaining quotes from different companies can help get the lowest insurance quotes.

Why Do Seniors who are Smokers Get Higher Rates?

Life insurance companies demand higher premiums from smokers who have attained 50 years and above. According to the report of the Surgeon General, smoking increases your likelihood of dying. Especially for the seniors, tobacco usage can be risky to their lives. So, life insurers have been forced to adjust their policy premiums for senior smokers. This is because there is a considerable risk of paying a death benefit on a smoker’s policy as compared to that of a non-smoker.

Still, insurance companies usually receive less revenue from such people because they do not live long. As such, their premiums ought to be higher since insurers anticipate low income to help cover for claims as opposed to those people who do not smoke.

In essence, insurers charge a higher premium for elderly smokers merely because they have a low life expectancy ratio. This means they are more vulnerable to chronic illnesses, such as bronchitis, lung cancer, and cardiovascular diseases, at least statistically. This means they have a shorter lifespan than those who do not smoke, thus making it risky for insurance companies.

If you are a senior and want the best life insurance policy, consider using an independent agent to help in comparing quotes in different companies. Seasoned life insurance agents know those companies that are nice to smokers and the ones offering the most competitive rates. They also know those insurers that will overlook their age and provide reasonably-priced rates to guarantee your family’s future financial security.

What a Life Insurance Companies Want to Know from a Smoker 

Cigarette or tobacco smoking is not only harmful to your health, but it also hurts your pocket when it comes to purchasing life insurance. Note that the health of a smoker is always deteriorating. Especially for an older adult, chain-smoking can lead to untimely death. And because of this, life insurers are still cautious when issuing insurance policies to smokers.

A smoker’s life insurance application procedure is not very different from the usual process. But it is only that smokers sometimes tend to be cunning because they already know the insurance rate will be high if their smoking habits are revealed. As such, the insurer has to be extremely careful to ensure accurate information is provided.

A person who smokes occasionally may not disclose his smoking habits to the insurer when filling out the application. This is because he thinks this is not vital since he does not smoke regularly. This, therefore, remains a puzzle for occasional smokers since they do not know whether or not they will be treated like chain smokers.

Life insurance companies have different ways of interviewing their applicants. They usually check the smoking habits of the prospective applicants to determine whether or not they qualify for the policy. The two common questions posed by insurers include;

• Do you take tobacco products?
• Have you ever taken tobacco in the past four years?

If your answer for any of the above questions is “yes”, then you will be regarded as a smoker. Also, it could be difficult for a life insurer to differentiate between a frequent smoker and an occasional smoker. Insurance companies only quote a low premium to people who have completely stopped smoking. Even if you are an occasional smoker, you still belong to the category of smokers. So, whether you regularly smoke or you are a chain smoker, the answer on the form should be “yes.”

Being declared a smoker means you use cigars, cigarettes and chew tobacco. Also, people who use gum or nicotine patch are classified as smoking. Still, during the underwriting process, insurers can quickly identify those people who claimed to be non-smokers, yet they are smokers. If you are spotted, this is likely to make your application get rejected or simply rated up to reflect your current status.

Remember that life insurer has to pay the claim to whoever has been declared the beneficiary. As such, it is always good, to be honest when filling out the application form. Note that this is a legal contract between the policyholder and the insurer, and therefore everything ought to be correct if you want your loved ones to benefit out of it.

Again, life insurers perform verification calls whereby applicants are asked various questions. Mostly, they are asked to confirm their smoking habits. Such conversations help them detect any inconsistencies in multiple applications and identify smokers. Lying about being a smoker may lead to severe consequences. As such, the applicants should disclose the correct information since any inconstant information may lead to the refutation of the claim.

Changing someone’s lifestyle and habits is hard. It, therefore, takes time for a person to adopt a new way of life. In that vein, the lifestyle and practices of a person do not change significantly within a short period. As such, life insurers lay more emphasis on giving correct answers to the questions asked during the application.

Getting Affordable Life Insurance

Just because you are a smoker does not mean you cannot get affordable life insurance. As a smoker, you do not need to dig deeper into your pockets to afford your monthly premiums. There are certain things you need to do to reduce that amount of money you have to pay as premiums.

At 50 and above, you need to eat well to improve your health. Even if you are a smoker and you adopt healthy eating, you are no doubt going to remain strong. A healthy diet helps to lose weight, lower your cholesterol, and lower blood pressure. Such health benefits will translate into lower life insurance rates and save you money.

Again, quitting smoking is another excellent way to lower your monthly premiums. As an elderly, you should consider stopping this habit of chain smoking. If you can stop smoking for about a year, you can be classified as a non-smoker by most of the insurance companies. Also, switching to more advanced options, such as vaping or e-cigarettes can help lower your insurance rate.

A great way to make sure you are getting the best rates is to work with an independent life insurance agent. Professional agents work with many insurance companies and can get you the lowest insurance rates in the market. Some of the life insurance products for smokers are discussed below:

Term Life Insurance Policy

In order to get the most affordable term life insurance, you need to compare life insurance rates on all A-rated life insurance companies. You need to be extremely careful when filling out the quote-request forms. It is always advisable to avoid agencies that ask for personal information. This is because they may use your personal information in fraudulent activities.

How to Get Affordable Term Life Insurance Rates Online

Term life insurance policy is regarded as the most affordable type of life insurance. With the advancement of the technology, you can compare term life insurance quotes at the comfort of your home. You only need a device that can connect to the Internet and you are good to go.

Consider using an independent agent – A good broker will help you compare rates and settle on a good deal. Experienced brokers are well-versed with the market and know the leading life insurance companies in the market. Avoid dealing with inexperienced agents because they only know a few insurance companies that may not be in a position to meet all your needs.

Stop postponing your date of acquiring life insurance – Bear in mind you are getting older every other day, and insurance rates are never constant. Also, your health condition is getting worse with age.

Know your health rating – The rate class is given following your overall health and risk. For instance, a preferred plus individual is one with excellent health while people being considered high risk are classified as substandard. Things that determine the rate class include family history, your build, background information, and hobbies. You need to have all this info upfront because term life quotes are different for every rate class.

Consider paying annually or semi-annually – This is a great way to get the best term life insurance rates. By doing so, you are likely to save up to 5 % on your total premiums.

Prepare for the medical exam- Bear in mind that companies use the laboratory results to make their final judgment. So, a few days before the medical exam, you need to monitor your diet pretty well. This is because your results on, say blood pressure, can be affected by some snacks you consumed previously. For that reason, you should be careful about what you take because your overall lab results will determine your premium rate.

Permanent Life Insurance

Permanent life insurance is a sure way of leaving your family with excellent financial stability. An excellent way to get the right coverage at the best rate is by comparing permanent life insurance quotes.

Permanent life insurance offers lifetime protection. You can get a permanent life insurance policy that lasts up till the age of 120. Most people seeking this policy usually want to cover a permanent need. Such things may include funeral expenses, real estate taxes, or you want to leave enough money for your loved ones.

Pros of Permanent Life Insurance

• Its protection never expires.
• It’s a way to accumulate savings.
• It is flexible.
• Good for estate planning.

Cons of Permanent Life Insurance

• Costly as compared to term life policy.
• Can be discontinued due to insufficient funding if not structured well.
• The accumulated amount can be small, thus making it an unviable investment tool.

A Guaranteed Universal Life Insurance Policy

This is also referred to as permanent term or lapse universal life insurance. The word ‘term’ is used because of its nature of simplicity just like in term life insurance. In this policy, there is no cash value accumulation. Also, it bears the word ‘term’ only because it has an expiry time. For instance, you can get covered up to 90 or 120 years, meaning the policy will expire once you attain the specified age.

How to Get Universal Life Insurance Policy

The first thing to determine is the amount of coverage you want. You also need to learn the age limit within which you need the coverage. After figuring out all this, you need to compare permanent life insurance quotes to land the best deal.

Conclusion

Whether you are a man or woman aged above 50 and you smoke tobacco or cigarette, obtaining proper life insurance is the best way to leave your family in a better financial position when you die. At such an age, more nicotine intake is likely going to deteriorate your health. As such, you should consider opting for the most affordable life insurance policy.

It is highly advisable to seek the help of a seasoned life insurance independent agency that has been around for quite some time. Make sure the agent you partner with has been for a long time helping seniors or the elderly with high-risk health conditions get the most affordable life insurance rates.

No need to wait because you never know what tomorrow brings. You should avoid procrastination because this might land your family into big financial trouble when you pass on. Remember getting the best life insurance policy entails a long and complicated process, especially for senior smokers. But if you engage an experienced agent, the process will be made simpler and quicker.

Life Insurance Quotes for Smokers Over 50

If you’re ready to find out what company will offer you the lowest rate, get in touch with us! At CFAinsure we compare rates with all of the companies on the market to get you the lowest rate, at no extra cost to you. We also specialize in high-risk cases and can get you the company that will offer you the best rate based on your risk. Give us a call today or use our online life insurance quote tool. Welcome to CFAinsure!