5 Essential Facts About No Exam Life Insurance For Smokers

You’re not alone if you use tobacco:

15.1% of all adults (36.5 million people) are current tobacco users. – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

It’s no secret that health risks – and consequently, your life insurance premiums – increase with tobacco use.

However – Whether you use cigarettes, e-cigarettes, chewing tobacco, marijuana, vape, cigars or pipes, you can qualify for no exam life insurance at often affordable rates.

Let’s evaluate everything you need to know about purchasing no exam life insurance when you smoke.

Table Of Contents

1. No Exam
2. Life Insurance For Smokers
3. Quotes
4. Bottom Line
5. Apply

No Exam Life Insurance 101

First, let’s define no exam (also known as non-med, no physical) life insurance. Simply put, it’s life insurance issued without the medical examination of the applicant.

That means you skip:

• Needles
• Nurses
• Liquid samples

A large percentage of us have no interest in being poked with a needle and have even put off purchasing life insurance as a result.

There’s good news – No exam life insurance is becoming increasingly available at affordable rates.

So, what does the process of purchasing life insurance without a medical exam look like?

*Subject to change

1. Partner Up

You will want to collaborate with an independent life insurance agent.

Here’s why: Independent agents are not held captive to a particular life insurance company. They have your best interest at heart.

No two life insurance companies are the same. That means your unique needs will determine which company is the best to purchase a policy from.

2. Electronic Application

Almost always, your life insurance application will be submitted electronically. No exam life insurance carriers are interested in streamlining the process for you. An electronic application means you skip tedious paperwork and snail mail.

3. Phone Interview

After your application has been submitted, expect a phone interview.

Your conversation will last about 20 – 30 minutes.

Important – Be prepared and upfront during the interview. Any discrepancies during the phone interview could delay or hinder your ability to secure life insurance quickly.

Expect to be asked about:

1. The basics: gender, birthdate, height/weight
2. Your tobacco use:
   • What type(s) of tobacco product you use
   • How often you use a tobacco product(s)
   • How many years you have used tobacco products
3. Health complications associated with tobacco use:
   • Respiratory ailments (e.g. lung cancer)
   • Cardiovascular disease
   • High blood pressure
   • Diabetes
   • Other cancers
4. General health history
5. Health history of close blood-related family members
6. Lifestyle
7. Hobbies
8. Occupation
9. Military status

4. Database Check

Next, your underwriter (that’s who evaluates your application) will review databases.

Generally, the following are checked:

• Motor Vehicle Report (MVR) – your driving record
• Pharmacy – a history of your prescriptions
• Medical Information Bureau (MIB) – a database of previous insurance applications

5. Application Decision

Based on your application, phone interview and database checks, you will receive a decision on your application – often quickly.

Expect one of three decisions:

1. Approved as applied – Think of this as a best-case scenario. You are approved for the life insurance policy you applied for.
2. More information needed – Depending on the carrier, sometimes your underwriter will need more information. Let’s say, for example, you’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure. You could be asked to provide information on when you were diagnosed, what medications you may be taking to treat your high blood pressure, and if you are experiencing health complications as a result of your high blood pressure.
3. Declined as applied – Sometimes, you are not approved for the life insurance policy you applied for. Take heart. There are plenty of life insurance options to explore.

Bottom Line – Anticipate an uncomplicated application process.

5 Essential Facts About No Exam Life Insurance For Smokers

*Subject to change

Let’s review the 5 essential facts you need to know about life insurance with no exam for smokers:

1. No Exam

Tobacco users’ options for no exam life insurance have increased. In fact, most no exam life insurance products include a tobacco health class.

More options mean you have the ability to shop around, with the help of an independent agent, for the best policy at the best price (that you qualify for).

2. Cost

Tobacco users will pay more for life insurance than those who are non-tobacco.

However, that doesn’t mean you can’t secure affordable life insurance coverage while skipping the needles, nurses and liquid samples.

To put things into perspective, let’s compare some tobacco quotes that are no exam with some that are medically underwritten.

Here, we have the same healthy, tobacco-using applicants for the same policy amount:

For many, paying a little more every month for the convenience of skipping the medical exam is worth it.

Note – John Hancock offers a quit smoking incentive. You can qualify for non-tobacco rates if you demonstrate that you have stopped using tobacco products.

3. Type*

Life insurance underwriters will want to know what type of tobacco product you use.

Specifically, they will ask you about:

• Cigarettes
• Cigars
• Marijuana
• Pipe
• Smokeless tobacco
• E-cigarette
• Vape
• Nicotine patch
• Nicotine gum

Tobacco products are not viewed equally by life insurance companies.

*For example: Cigar smokers, smokeless tobacco users, and marijuana users can earn non-tobacco status by some medically-underwritten carriers.

In other words, you could be classified as non-tobacco (and save significantly on your premiums) if you’re willing to go through a medical exam – under a few specific situations (your tobacco use must be limited).

4. When

Expect to be asked about when you last smoked a cigarette.

For some carriers, if you have smoked cigarettes within the last 2 years, you will be classified as tobacco.

For many carriers, if you have smoked cigarettes within the last 12 months, you will be classified as tobacco.

So, it will have to be at least one year since your last cigarette to be classified as non-tobacco.

Important – Honesty is crucial. If you are not truthful about your tobacco use, and you pass away from a tobacco-related illness, it can put your policy’s death benefit in jeopardy.

Also important – Do not wait until you’ve quit smoking to purchase life insurance coverage. Not to sound dark, but no one is guaranteed tomorrow.

If down the road, you successfully quit smoking, you can apply for new non-tobacco rates.

5. Health

Your health is a major factor in determining the life insurance rate you qualify for.

Smoking increases your risk of health complications. If you experience adverse health effects as a result of smoking (or for any reason, for that matter) life insurance carriers may charge you more for life insurance.

Common health conditions related to smoking include:

• coronary heart disease
• respiratory disease
• stroke
• type 2 diabetes
• rheumatoid arthritis 

Important – People with health complications are able to secure life insurance without a physical all the time.

Sample No Exam Life Insurance Quotes For Smokers

Keep in mind – quotes are samples only. They reflect limited input and are for healthy individuals. Your personal quote may vary.

Samples are for $250,000 of term life insurance for a healthy individual.

No Exam Life Insurance For Smokers - Male

No Exam Life Insurance For Smokers - Female

Bottom Line

If you have loved ones who depend on you financially, it’s almost certain you need life insurance.

Just how much life insurance coverage you need is dependent on:

1. The financial needs of you and your beneficiaries:
   • Living expenses – food, utilities, bills
   • Tuition
   • Mortgage or rent
   • Loans or debt (student loans, credit card)
   • Charitable giving

No exam life insurance is often an excellent fit for smokers:

1. Skip the needles, nurses and liquid samples
2. Purchase life insurance quickly (no exam life insurance can shave weeks off of the application turnaround time)

How To Apply

You will want to do two things when you apply for no exam life insurance for smokers:

1. Partner with an independent agent.
   • An independent agent will be able to access tobacco-friendly life insurance carriers to find the best policy to fit your needs.
   • They have your best interest in mind because they’re not held captive to a particular carrier.
   • Avoid applying directly with a life insurance company. Let’s say a medical condition shows up on your application. That information could then be available to other life insurance companies, via the Medical Information Bureau, and potentially affect future applications.
2. Be ready for the application
   • Have your medical, lifestyle (including tobacco use), and occupation information readily available.
   • Your application is processed fastest when you can answer all interview questions upfront.