What Smokers Need to Know About Life Insurance

Can you get life insurance if you smoke?

A smoker is anyone who has used tobacco in any form—including cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, e-cigarettes, or vaping—within the last 12 months.

If you’re a smoker, you can still get life insurance in Canada, but your coverage options and prices will vary by provider. Expect to pay 2–3 times more in premiums than nonsmokers for comparable coverage.

If you’re young and a smoker, now is an ideal time to shop for a policy—or consider quitting. Younger people pay less for coverage regardless of smoking status. For example, a 30-year-old smoker will generally pay less per month than a 40-year-old smoker for similar coverage.
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What about marijuana?

Cannabis use is treated differently than tobacco use by life insurance providers. There’s also a difference between medical and recreational use.

Types of life insurance for smokers

For most smokers (and nonsmokers), the best type of life insurance is term coverage, but here are your options:

• Term life insurance: Covers you for a specific period while you have major financial obligations
• Permanent life insurance: Lasts your entire life as long as you continue paying the premiums.
• No-medical/guaranteed issue: Guarantees coverage regardless of age, health, and medical history, though there are exceptions.

Here’s how the three types of life insurance for smokers compare:

Term life insurance is the best choice for most people, including those who smoke. We recommend starting your life insurance application by looking for a fully underwritten term life insurance policy. If you’re denied standard coverage, then consider applying for a guaranteed issue policy.

How smoking impacts your life insurance

Smoking makes you higher risk to insure since smokers generally have shorter life expectancies. It also raises the likelihood of serious health conditions, such as lung cancer, heart disease, and respiratory illnesses. As a result, insurers charge higher premiums to account for the greater chance of paying out the policy sooner.

Take a look at how risk rating corresponds to premium increases in life insurance:

* Based on a base premium of $100 per month

Life insurance costs for smokers

The average cost of life insurance for a 30-year-old smoker is between $42 and $103 per month. But remember, that’s only an average. Premiums can vary widely based on age, birth sex, health status, coverage amount, term length, and more.

Here are some sample PolicyMe monthly premiums for female smokers based on $500,000 in life insurance coverage:

Here are some sample PolicyMe monthly premiums for male smokers based on $500,000 in life insurance coverage:

Younger people tend to pay lower premiums for coverage, as do people assigned female at birth. The earlier you secure life insurance coverage, the more affordable your rates will be.

Life insurance premiums for smokers vs. nonsmokers

Generally, smokers will pay higher premiums than nonsmokers for the same coverage. Here’s a quick comparison of rates between 30-year-old female smokers and nonsmokers for $500,000 in coverage:

And here’s what sample rates look like for 30-year-old male smokers vs. nonsmokers for $500,000 in coverage:

Best life insurance companies for smokers

PolicyMe, Cooperators, and Canada Protection Plan are among the best life insurance companies for smokers in Canada. Here’s a more detailed comparison based on affordability, application process, and coverage options at each company.

Sun Life, UV Life, and Empire Life also offer simplified and guaranteed life policies for smokers in Canada.

”With PolicyMe, you can go through the entire life insurance quote application process online in 20 minutes or less. It was simple, intuitive, and fast (how it should be!).” —Jessica Moorhouse, millennial money expert

How to find the most affordable life insurance for smokers

First, explore a life insurance calculator to figure out how much coverage you and your family need. Then, decide between term and permanent coverage.

Not ready to quit? Here’s how a smoker can find affordable life insurance in Canada:

• Shop around to get quotes from multiple companies
• Get a policy as early as possible to lock in lower rates when you’re younger
• Adjust your coverage amount or term length to fit your financial needs and budget

Ready to quit? Quitting can be great for your health and your bank account.

• Stop smoking for one year to be eligible for nonsmoker rates
• Shop around to get competitive rates from multiple companies as a nonsmoker

Higher-risk individuals need to protect their loved ones, even if that means higher life insurance rates. Consider your life insurance options and establish beneficiaries to ensure your family has financial protection. If possible, quit smoking to reduce your health risks and get more affordable coverage.
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Never lie about your smoking status

Tobacco use is likely to be uncovered in a medical exam via blood tests and urine tests. In the worst case scenario, you might forfeit a payout for your beneficiaries if the provider discovers you lied about your smoking habits during the contestability period.

FAQ: life insurance for smokers