There are many factors that influence the monthly cost of a Canadian life insurance policy. Anything that affects your health and lifespan is taken into consideration. This includes your mental health, physical health, and other health habits.

One section on your life insurance application asks about your tobacco consumption and smoking habits. Tobacco use is linked with increased health risk for several diseases such as lung cancer, mouth cancer, and emphysema. As a result, life insurance carriers consider smokers at high risk of premature death. This means that rates for smokers are significantly higher than non-smoker rates.

In recent years, fewer people are smoking traditional rolled cigarettes. However, this decrease in cigarette smoking has led to an increase in vaping. Many former smokers have switched to vaping or electronic cigarettes as some media portrays it as a more discrete way to consume nicotine. E-Cigarette use is also popular amongst younger demographics. This is due to accessibility, variety in flavours, and a more subtle smoking experience. However, since the rise in popularity of vaping, some studies out of the US have reported lung injury and other health concerns associated with vaping habits.

While vaping is still advertised as a healthier alternative to smoking, what do life insurance companies think? Knowing that tobacco consumption and smoking affect life insurance premiums, it’s only fair to wonder if vape use also leads to expensive insurance. This article reviews how life insurance companies view vaping when underwriting life insurance applications and what you can do to lower your premiums if you vape.

Are you considered a smoker if you vape? 

If you vape, you are considered a smoker according to most life insurance companies. In fact, you can be considered a smoker if you have consumed or used any of the following in the past 12 months: 

• cigarettes
• tobacco products (chewing tobacco)
• nicotine patches
• hookahs 
• nicotine gum
• e-cigarettes
• vapes 

Frequent consumption of marijuana, such as edibles or cannabis products, can also classify you as a smoker. This includes adding cannabis oil to your vape. However, this will vary depending on your insurance provider. 

There is some flexibility regarding cigar smoking. Some providers will allow you to smoke a few cigars and still classify as a non-smoker as long as your average is less than one a month. Though, this does depend on the size and type of cigar or cigarillo.

Does vaping affect your life insurance? 

Vaping will affect the cost of your life insurance. E-cigarette users, vapers, and traditional cigarette smokers are all rated the same, regardless of the frequency or severity of their nicotine addiction. Any consumption of these products in the last 12 months classifies you as a smoker.

As a smoker, you are considered at higher risk for deadly health conditions such as stroke, heart disease, and cancer than a non-smoker would be. This means that you are more likely to pass away of a pre-mature death, making you riskier to insure. If you’re considered a risk to the insurance company, they will give you a rating, and this rating raises your premiums.

Insurance providers, like BMO, take into account the health effects of vaping, as well as unknowns like how some of the carcinogens found in vaping liquid (lead, formaldehyde) have long-term effects on e-cigarette users.

While Health Canada cites vaping as healthier than smoking regular cigarettes, US studies have reported adverse health issues and respiratory issues, many of which are still unknown. As more time passes and research is done on the long-term effects of vaping, we can assume that life insurance providers will update their guidelines for the cost of life insurance for vapers.

What happens if you lie about smoking or vaping on a life insurance application? 

When you apply for life insurance, you are asked many questions about your health. One of these questions will ask if you smoke or not. If you vape, you are classified as a smoker, so you must answer yes.

Depending on the type of insurance you are applying for and your age, you may also be required to take a medical exam as part of the application process. During this exam, you will provide a blood sample and/or urine test from which they can test for nicotine.

It is possible to purchase a life insurance policy without a medical exam. This type of insurance is known as no-medical life insurance. In the application process, you will still be asked if you smoke. However, because these policies require no medical exam, blood test, urine test, or assessment of your vitals, they wouldn’t have evidence of the nicotine in your system. But, it’s important to note that no-medical policies typically have a more expensive monthly premium than fully underwritten life insurance, so you won’t get a cheaper rate choosing no-medical coverage.

Moreover, even if you don’t have to take a medical exam for your life insurance policy, you still should be honest about your smoking status. An insurance policy has a contestability period that begins from the start of your policy and lasts two years. If your insurance provider finds there was any dishonesty or misrepresentation during the application process, they can rescind your policy and deny you life insurance coverage. If you die during this contestability period and are found to have been a smoker when you claimed otherwise, your beneficiaries may not receive the policy’s death benefit.

Even after the contestability period, your insurance provider has the right to deny a claim if they can prove misrepresentation or improper classification during the time of application.

What happens if you start smoking or vaping after getting life insurance? 

While health professionals would not recommend one starts smoking or vaping, it may still be the case for some. If you start smoking after your contestability period and you have a guaranteed rate, you should still be insured. However, if you’re considering taking up smoking it’s best to investigate your specific policy before you buy. Simply get a life insurance quote and compare the cost of smokers rates vs. non-smoker rates. It may deter you from taking up the habit.

Is life insurance more expensive if you vape?

Yes, life insurance is more expensive if you vape. If you are a nicotine user of any kind, you are considered a smoker and are subject to higher insurance premiums. Insurance for smokers can have 50-100% higher premiums compared to non-smoker policies. For a 45-year-old, male smoker your premium could be around $205 a month while a non-smoker could pay around $75 for a term life insurance policy. That difference adds up.

However, you may still qualify for preferred life insurance rates if you are a smoker. Preferred rates are offered to those with better than average health metrics. These metrics could include cholesterol levels, blood pressure readings, and body mass index. Speak with an advisor to learn more about affordable life insurance for smokers.

How long after quitting smoking can you get life insurance?

You do not have to quit smoking to get life insurance, however, you will save a good chunk of change if you do. To be classified as a non-smoker you must have not consumed any tobacco or nicotine products in the last 12 months. After 12 months you can honestly state on your application that you are a non-smoker.

If you already have a life insurance policy but have quit smoking since the start of your policy, you can apply to have your status changed to non-smoker. With non-smoker status, you will qualify for lower premiums. You will have to sign a declaration confirming that you have quit smoking and have not consumed any nicotine or tobacco in the last 12 months. In addition, you will need confirmation of a medical exam stating that there was no trace of nicotine or cotinine in your system. Your insurance provider will also ensure there have been no other changes to your health.

Do you vape and are worried about getting life insurance? 

While vaping will affect the price of your life insurance quote, our expert advisors can help you find an affordable policy that works for you! Book a call with our advisors today!

Life insurance premiums are based on a variety of factors such as your health and lifestyle choices. The healthier you are in the eyes of an insurance company, the lower your premiums will be. During the underwriting process, you will be asked a lot of questions about your lifestyle and health. Amongst other things such as medical history and exercise habits, you will be asked if you smoke. 

Your smoking habits are a huge factor in determining premiums. This is because smoking has been linked to many health risks and medical conditions that impact your life expectancy such as: 

• heart disease
• lung disease 
• high blood pressure
• cancer
• stroke

As a smoker, you can expect the cost of life insurance to be much more expensive than it would be for a non-smoker. Premiums for smokers can be anywhere from 50-100% higher than non-smoker rates.  If you smoke, vape, or consume any nicotine product, life insurers will consider you a smoker. This includes nicotine gum.

How do life insurance companies classify smokers?

You will be considered a smoker if you have consumed or used any of the following in the past 12 months: 

• cigarettes
• chewing tobacco
• nicotine patches 
• nicotine pouches
• nicotine gum
• hookahs 
• electronic cigarettes
• vapes 

In general, life insurance providers will not differentiate rates between heavy smokers or occasional smokers. Because of the health issues associated with smoking, you either are a smoker or you’re not.

However, there is some flexibility regarding cigar smoking. Some providers will allow you to smoke a celebratory cigar or two and still classify as a non-smoker as long as your average is less than one a month. Though, this does depend on the size and type of cigar or cigarillo.

Frequent consumption of marijuana, such as edibles or cannabis products, can also classify you as a smoker. This includes adding cannabis oil to a vape pen. However, rules around marijuana consumption will vary depending on your insurance provider. 

Is nicotine gum considered a tobacco product for life insurance?

Yes, if you use nicotine gum or other smoking cessation products, the life insurance company will classify you as a smoker. Often people will start to use nicotine gum as a stop smoking aid to help reduce their craving for cigarettes. However, in the eyes of the insurance company, you have not fully quit smoking until you are no longer dependent on nicotine products. 

Once you have been nicotine free for 12 months, you will be able to qualify for non-smoker rates on your life insurance.

What happens if you lie about smoking or using nicotine gum on a life insurance application?

On your life insurance application, you will be asked if you are a smoker—and you will be expected to answer honestly. Some insurance companies will require you to complete a medical exam as part of your underwriting process. Often this exam will include a urine sample, saliva, blood, or nicotine test. If any levels of nicotine are detected in your system at the time of application, you will be given smoker’s premiums.  

How do life insurance companies check if you smoke?

Life insurance companies have many ways of checking your smoking history and status before, during, and after the life insurance application process. 

Life insurance nicotine test

Life insurance companies will not just look for traces of tobacco or nicotine in your system during your medical exams. They will also look for an alkaloid called cotinine. Cotinine is found in the body after nicotine has been metabolized. So, even if you wait 3-4 days after using nicotine or other tobacco products, your test results will still give away your cigarette or nicotine gum use.

Life insurance contestability period

Even after the life insurance medical exam and application process is complete, your life insurance policy will have something called a contestability period. Generally, this will span the first two years of your policy. 

If during this time it is found that you have lied about your smoking status or anything else on your application, the insurance company can retract coverage and cancel your policy. 

On your application, it is always best to be honest even if it results in higher premiums. You don’t want your beneficiaries to be left without a death benefit in the event of your passing. 

Checking your death certificate

If you are not required to submit a urine, blood, saliva sample, or nicotine test your insurance company may not know immediately that you are a smoker. But that doesn’t mean you’ve necessarily gotten away with it. If a claim is made on your policy after you pass away and it is discovered that you were a smoker at the time of application, the claim can be denied. This means that your beneficiaries will not receive your death benefit. 

Does your doctor tell your insurance company if you smoke or use nicotine gum?

Your insurance company may require medical records or a report from your doctor, known as an Attending Physician’s Statement (APS). This APS would include your smoking status and smoking history. 

Some types of life insurance, such as no-medical life insurance, do not require you to go through any medical exam or APS reports. If you did not have to submit medical records for your application, or your status as a smoker is not on your medical records, your doctor is not required to inform your insurance company of your status. In fact, as a medical professional, your doctor is legally required to keep your medical status confidential unless you consent to its release or your doctor is required by law to disclose it. 

So, your doctor can’t tattle on you, per se—but if the insurance company wants to know your smoking status and you refuse to provide that information, they may decline your application.

How long after quitting smoking can you get life insurance?

You can get life insurance now, regardless of your smoking status. However, once you have been free of nicotine or tobacco products for 12 months, you will no longer be considered a smoker and receive non-smoker rates.

Life insurance providers require you that you have quit smoking and the use of other forms of nicotine replacement products for this period of time as your risk of smoking-related health issues reduces, meaning you are less of a liability for them to payout.

If you quit smoking and the use of all nicotine products for over 12 months, but you’ve already set up your policy, you can update your smoking status and apply for a lower life insurance premium. In this case, you will be required to submit a new medical report from a doctor confirming your non-smoker status.

Trying to quit smoking and looking for life insurance? 

Even if you haven’t hit that 12-month-smoke-free milestone yet, we can still help you get affordable life insurance rates for smokers. To learn more about life insurance for smokers and your expected premiums, get a free life insurance quote or schedule a call with an expert insurance advisor. 

The purpose of life insurance is to financially protect those who depend on you from the sudden loss of your income due to an unexpected death.

Geez – that’s a little grim, but this kind of protection is something we owe to those we love the most. As you have probably experienced, life is a process that can be best defined as subject to change. That being the case, your life insurance needs are also subject to change. When such change occurs, you need to consider whether or not your policy needs a refresh.

Here, we will discuss some circumstances which indicate that the time to change the life insurance coverage amount or update your life insurance beneficiaries has come.

Life Events

There is no greater sign that it’s time to review your policy than marriage, divorce, or a change in the number of children in your household – and unless you are running a daycare, that means babies. Depending on your situation, a marriage or divorce can either improve or detract from your financial situation. But the main consideration in changing your insurance coverage amount and updating your beneficiaries is the number of people who may or may not need protection from an unexpected loss of your income and require help with the cost of living, mortgage payments, and final expenses relating to your death.

These triggers generally include:

• Marriage: finding the best life insurance for couples once you become one
  
• Divorce: changing your beneficiary or getting another life insurance policy for a settlement agreement
  
• Birth of a child: making sure your children are covered if something happens to you
  
• Loss of a loved one: making sure your beneficiaries are up to date

Starting a New Business

Canadians start tens of thousands of new businesses every year. If you’re one of them, now would be a good time to review your life insurance policy. Not only may your risk profile change as you update the ways you earn a living, but the needs of your beneficiaries might also change. Checking in and updating your life insurance policy when starting a business is a good way to protect your family and give them financial security in the event of your passing.

Buying a Home

Buying your first, (or even second or third ) home can be pretty exciting. But once the bills start arriving and your insurance profile starts to change, it may be a key time to look at your life insurance policy.

You’ll need to ask yourself the following questions to determine whether buying a new home calls for a life insurance update:

• Would your spouse have trouble making mortgage payments without your income?
• Would your existing policy or death benefit cover the remainder of your mortgage?
• Would your existing policy cover the requisite years of childcare and continue to pay college tuition for your children?
• Would your policy cover whoever inherits the house?
• Could your current insurance benefits fill the financial gap you would leave behind?

Now that you know how many things can make checking in on your current policy necessary, it’s not hard to imagine how many other types of events might also require a life insurance check-up to make sure your beneficiaries receive what you intended.

Any significant change in your income, expenses, assets, liabilities, or risk profile should tell you that it’s time to review your policy and update your financial plan, as well as your insurance plan (and your beneficiaries).

Get professional help

When you’re thinking about getting life insurance, or changing your policy, you should speak with a licensed insurance professional who can help you explore your best options.

You might want to start by taking a look at large insurance companies in Canada and comparing what they have available. Or, simply contact us and let our friendly advisors give you one-on-one advice.

Your time is valuable

So, what you’re after is life insurance, right? And what are you wasting when you sit in some insurance company’s office looking at oily magazines waiting for an overdressed insurance agent to show up? Life. That’s what. When you buy life insurance online, every part of the process is faster and easier – letting you live the very thing you’re looking to insure.

You can get online term life insurance quotes in a matter of a few minutes and speak with an advisor without getting your formal wear from the dry cleaner. And, we know a tool that even lets you apply for term life insurance online, without ever leaving the comfort of your home or office. The only thing you need is internet access.

Convenience counts

Searching for the best online life insurance gives you access to the best insurers in Canada. Forget pounding pavement all over town or calling a dozen different offices that happen to be near your home. Forget all that. Go online and access information on term life insurance quotes from the best life insurance companies in Canada from the convenience of your laptop, iPad, Galaxy S Infinity or your other favourite device – wherever you might be.

You get more options

When you compare life insurance companies online, finding the best life insurance quote is like finding a haystack. No needle, just a great big pile of insurance companies to choose from. You’ll be able to see everything each company offers without having to ask a bunch of questions from an agent representing only one company. The only real challenge you’ll encounter might be writing everything down so you can easily compare term life insurance premiums, what the insurance covers, and other policy quirks and differences.

If you’re good with spreadsheets, you’re all set. If not, a pad of paper with lines and columns will do. Even better –  we know a tool that saves all that info for you; you don’t even need to do any note-taking. Find the company with the best policies and prices at your leisure.

Low-pressure sales

Don’t you hate it when salespeople get in your face?

Fortunately, when you shop for the best online life insurance, you’re in control of the conversation. You’re blocking pop-ups, spiking banner ads, and minimizing those annoying fake health-remedy flash videos. You choose from what’s on offer in your time, with zero pressure from a salesperson hoping to earn a commission cheque. And if you still have questions, just schedule a call at your own time with the insurance advisor on the other side.

Shopping for life insurance online means unlimited price comparisons

The great thing about looking for the best insurance companies in Canada online is that you choose what price you want to pay and how much coverage you want – without all that sales pressure we mentioned above. You can evaluate different life insurance coverage amounts, change your insurance coverage term, and the type of product you want to buy as many times as you want. Just sit back and let the insurance calculator do its thing and find you prices that fit your budget in your own time. Try that in some agent’s stiff leather chair, and they’re liable to call security on you!

Speaking of calculators, here’s another great online tool you can use when looking for the best life insurance in Canada.