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Tobacco Underwriting Exceptions

Female tobacco user cigarette smoker

Key Considerations

  • Goal: qualify tobacco users for non-tobacco life insurance rates, finding the right exception, cutting their premium in half
  • Insurer selection is key to achieving favorable outcomes
  • Key variables: how the tobacco is consumed, the type of product used, frequency of use, the date of most recent use, and whether the insurance company specimen is positive or negative
  • The more information we have about your client in advance of an application, the more accurate our carrier recommendations and preliminary pricing assessment

Life insurance applicants who use ZYN pouches, are daily cigar smokers, chewers, and dippers, even those with a positive lab specimen, can now qualify for non-tobacco life insurance rates, cutting their premiums in half!  One highly rated brand name insurer even offers non-tobacco rates to occasional cigarette smokers!  Yes, it’s complicated!  Send us a secure email, or request your quote online, and we’ll sort through the options for you!

Tobacco Use Pattern

Best Class

Notes

Quit Cigarettes 12+ Months Ago

Preferred non-tobacco

No need to wait 2 – 5 years

1 – 12 Cigarettes per year

Super preferred non-tobacco

Must admit tobacco use; specimen must be negative for nicotine (cotinine)

13 – 24 Cigarettes per year

Preferred non-tobacco

Must admit tobacco use; specimen must be negative for nicotine (cotinine)

Cigar, pipe, chewing, dipping, snuff

Non-smoker plus

Must admit tobacco use; specimen can be positive for nicotine (cotinine)

E-Cigarette

Non-tobacco plus

Negative thiocyanate marker; no cigars or cigarettes past 10 years

Nicotine patch, gum

Non-tobacco plus

Must admit tobacco use; specimen can be positive for nicotine (cotinine)

Vapers

Non-tobacco plus

Negative thiocyanate marker; no cigars or cigarettes past 10 years

ZYN pouch users

Non-tobacco plus

Must admit Zyn pouch use; specimen can be positive for nicotine (cotinine)

Get a non-tobacco quotes for clients who qualify!  Send us a secure email, or request your quote online

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