Whether you are a casual smoker or a habitual one, buying How much is term life insurance for smokers?
The cost of term life insurance depends on a lot of factors; smoking is just one of them. Your age, the death benefit amount and other risk factors will also play a role. however, all else being equal, here's a look at average rates for a $500,000 term life policy at 10- and 20-year terms for smokers vs. non-smokers.
| Age | Gender | 10-year-term,smoker | 10-year-term,non-smoker | 20-year-term,smoker | 20-year-term,non-smoker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Female | $629 | $281 | $798 | $358 |
| 25 | Male | $826 | $344 | $1.060 | $442 |
| 35 | Female | $776 | $313 | $1,158 | $440 |
| 35 | Male | $972 | $370 | $1,436 | $516 |
| 45 | Female | $1,638 | $577 | $2,515 | $845 |
| 45 | Male | $2,093 | $694 | $3,338 | $1,071 |
| 55 | Female | $3,746 | $1,145 | $5,528 | $1,870 |
| 55 | Male | $4,823 | $1,554 | $7,711 | $2,620 |
As, you can see, buying life insurance young makes a big difference, but smokers will still pay a lot more than non-smokers.
Group life insurance for smokers
If you smoke, buying group coverage may be your best option for getting better life insurance rates.
If you work for a company that provides life insurance, you can likely secure lower-cost coverage through that plan than through buying a policy on your own. Typically, there are no medical exams for group life insurance because the coverage is being provided for the whole group, which spreads out the risk, says Richard Kappers, director of marketing for life insurance products at Philadelphia-based CIGNA.
However, even with group life insurance, you may have to pay more than a non-smoker does. Kappers says some insurers establish different group rates for smokers and non-smokers, with smoker rates averaging anywhere from 20 percent to 40 percent higher than nonsmoker rates.
Do you have to tell the life insurance company you smoke?
You may be tempted to stretch the truth and say you do not smoke when in truth you do. But keep in mind that it's fraud and the insurer could deny a life insurance claim, Kappers says, "We retain the right if fraud was committed to rescind coverage or deny any claim."
And even if you quit smoking tomorrow, you’ll generally have to wait a while to see better life insurance rates. For example, CIGNA offers lower rates to people who have quit smoking for at least a year, Kappers says.
"We can't control what happens after the contract is approved," Dinstel says. "If your health changes or you do start smoking, the contract is [still] enforceable."
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