How can a life insurance company know if you smoke cigarettes if you quit one week prior to the exam?
Can i quit smoking one week before my insurance company medical exam and my test results be negative?
If so, what happens if I die from lung cancer 20 years later? Will the insurance company protest or pay up?
Moral aspects of lying on the application are one part of the issue.
1. The technicalities though are such that the medical test will not show anything after 3 days of not smoking – I have read an article on that.
2. Contestability period is limited to 2 years in California and many other states (insurance is regulated at the state, not federal level). For insurance company to contest the policy the person should die from smoking, not from another cause.
3. Since insurance fraud happens allot it is being calculated into the premium – we all are paying for that insuring cars, homes, autos and lives.
July 17th, 2010 at 7:17 am
Some do blood tests… and others use like a breathalizer and it can pick up even the tinest bit of nicotine…from a week ago! So stop smoking!
References :
July 17th, 2010 at 7:41 am
The proof will be in your lungs. You may feel that you’re getting away with something until something happens to you, say a year from now. When they take a look at your lungs, they’ll find proof that you’ve been a smoker, and that it’s been less than 5 years since your last smoke.
Then, your beneficiary won’t get a darned thing. You’re better off to go for a lower payout if you can’t afford the higher payments that a smoker has to pay. At least then you’re able to leave them your insurance payout.
References :
July 17th, 2010 at 8:30 am
if your only asking for the smallest of the insurance protection they really don’t check, other wise they make you take different test, it’s like the suicide clause in it too, if you commit suicide less than 2 years of your new policy your family collects nothing, same as if they find out within a certain length of time on your policy you die of lung cancer your family gets nothing.they do a family history and check with your doctors as well, some people are un insurable with certain health risks read the fine print. Stay away from Primerica Insurance
References :
July 17th, 2010 at 8:46 am
For a very small burial type policy of up to $10,000 or so they just ask if you smoke or not. For higher face amounts they will do a blood test and/or other more comprehensive tests. I’ve heard a blood test will reveal tobacco use (including nicotine gums or patches) within the past 45 to 60 days. If they do other checks of your history and found out you used to smoke they may require you to submit to a hair follicle test. This test will reveal tobacco use a year or two in the past.
If you get a smoker policy, with most companies you can ask for it to be changed to a non-smoker after quitting for a year.
If you lie about smoking and get a non-smoker rate they can void the policy. If that happens they will return the premium you paid to your beneficiary but that’s all they’ll get.
Ditto about staying away from Primerica.
References :
Independent Agent
July 17th, 2010 at 9:07 am
first of all, you better quit smoking at least 30 days before you take the test or there’s a good chance it will show up.
Next, I don’t know what state you’re in, but in Pa. the insurance company can only contest paying the claim if you die within 2 years from the issue of the policy. At that point,they can investigate and if they can provide evidence that you lied on the application, they may not have to pay the claim.
References :
July 17th, 2010 at 9:41 am
The short and honest answer is: YES.
Chemicals from the toxins will break down and stay in your urine for a while. Furthermore, they can tell if you smoke with a mouth swab, which a lot of them do. Finally, if you’ve ever been to the doctor for anything above and beyond a minor cold and the doctor knows you smoke, the insurance company could theoretically get your medical info through the MIB (Medical Information Bureau), which is kind of like a credit report for medical records. A lot of people get caught lying that way, and it’s the fastest way to get declined.
References :
Insurance professional
July 17th, 2010 at 10:12 am
The thing to consider is that if you use fraud to purchase a policy, the company isn’t required to pay up. Period.
References :
July 17th, 2010 at 10:29 am
Moral aspects of lying on the application are one part of the issue.
1. The technicalities though are such that the medical test will not show anything after 3 days of not smoking – I have read an article on that.
2. Contestability period is limited to 2 years in California and many other states (insurance is regulated at the state, not federal level). For insurance company to contest the policy the person should die from smoking, not from another cause.
3. Since insurance fraud happens allot it is being calculated into the premium – we all are paying for that insuring cars, homes, autos and lives.
References :
July 17th, 2010 at 10:49 am
nicotine passes through the system quickly but they test for continine not nicotine in their testing. That has a 30-60 day residual level, minimum
References :
July 17th, 2010 at 11:24 am
As the residual nicotine in your system is metabolized, it will produce continie in your urine. 1 week will not be enough to get all of this out. The question that you should ask yourself isn’t ‘what happens if I die 20 years later’, but ‘what happens if I die in the next 2 years?’ If you make a material mistatement on your application, the insurance company in almost all jurisdictions has the right to refuse payment to your beneficiary.
Try getting a smoker rate now (because you need the coverage) and retesting in a year for a lower rate.
References :
July 17th, 2010 at 12:09 pm
In most instances, a mouth swab can still find trace amounts of continine in your system even if you quit a week before. Lying on a life insurance questionare is never a good idea. There is usually a two year waiver for any exsisting illnesses or attempts at death, like suicide. You can still get life insurance if you smoke, but you’ll pay the price for it.
References :