Without any doubt, having health insurance is a primary necessity these days despite its optional status. Any person that ever had to do anything with healthcare without a standard health insurance policy will tell you that it’s simply impossible to get proper care for reasonable money. Even an average health condition like flu or bronchitis can result in a medical bill that you’ll need to pay half of your annual salary to settle. Not to mention emergency situation when surgery and hospital care are required, and we all know that it can be as costly as hell. So whether costly or not, an insurance plan is a much more affordable option for having your health covered. But what if you make part of an insurance group that isn’t really favored these days? What’s the cost of health insurance if you’re a smoker?
Being a smoker isn’t cheap, and if you didn’t realize it already the numerous studies and social campaigns sure did their job on informing you about the costs and perils of smoking. It is a well-established fact that smoking causes certain types of cancer, has serious effects on your general health and is a serious money drain, especially if you prefer the costlier cigarette brands. But what does health insurance have to do with it?
Well, the relation is rather obvious and unambiguous. If smoking is directly related to certain health conditions that cause the customer to file insurance claims more often than health insurance will be more expensive for the customer with such a habit. That’s why smokers always get higher rates than their non-smoking peers, and the difference can be rather pronounced depending on the company and the particular demographic group the person makes part of. But wait, it can get even worse!
Some companies will be unwilling to insure you once they realize that you’re a smoker and have any pre-existing conditions that can be attributed to this habit. They will regard your application as too risky to deal with and will deny you coverage. Sure, this may seem outrageous bit there were cases like these around the country and it’s the insurer’s right to decide whether you’re suited for having your health insured with them or not. So keep this in mind when shopping around for health insurance plans, since some of the quotes may drop off once the insurers realize that you’re a smoker.
It may sure look tempting to conceal your habit when applying for health insurance, but it’s not a particularly bright thing to do. In case the insurer finds out that you’re smoking or you develop a condition that can be linked to smoking you will likely to get your policy terminated and subjected to a substantial fine. But what’s even worse, this fact will be included to your insurance history and other companies will know very well that you’ve misinformed your previous provider. As a result your rates will always be high if any insurer will accept your application at all.
So, what’s the best solution for smoker to deal with health insurance? The most logic solution would be to quit smoking as it will spare your health and offer you lower rates. If you’re not willing to give up, however, at least make sure to inform your potential insurer about the habit in order to avoid any future complications. Otherwise you risk being left without any health insurance.