Final Expense Burial Insurance For Smokers [Ultimate Guide]
For many smokers, we can find you very affordable rates and sometimes even non-smoker rates! Fill out the form on the right and we will find you the best policy for you.
Smoking vs. Other Forms Of Tobacco
Now, most smoking rates only apply to cigarette smokers. If you smoke cigarettes, this article is for you. However, if you use tobacco or nicotine in another form, you can qualify for non-smoker rates with many carriers!
If you use…
- Cigars
- Pipe
- E-cig
- Chew
- Another form of non-cigarette tobacco
These do not count as a “smoker” for a few select carriers and we can find you non-smoker rates. If you don’t smoke cigarettes, then this article is not meant for you and you can contact us right away to get affordable non-smoker rates by giving us a call or filling out the quote form on the right.
Timeframe
Now, insurance carriers only care about smoking cigarettes in the last 12 months. So, if you used to smoke but it’s been over 12 months since you quit, you qualify for non-smoker rates!
Furthermore, if you currently are a smoker, you can quit and 12 months later apply for a policy for some savings. While we don’t recommend that, it is possible.
Frequency
Any amount of cigarettes in the last 12 months will bump you up to the smoker rate. The best way to qualify for non-smoker is to quit completely and forever. However, we can still help you apply for free for very affordable smoker rates!
Applying For Burial Insurance As A Smoker
The process to apply for coverage as a smoker is no different that non-smoker, and you can send in your application today at no charge. It’s also better not to wait, as smoker premiums go up considerably more the older you get as opposed to non-smokers.
But what will spike your premiums much more than getting older is developing a health condition due to smoking, such as COPD, Atrial Fibrillation, or Emphysema. Smoking dramatically increases your risk of getting one of these diseases and will spike your premiums by a good bit.
Which brings us to the different types of coverage…
Immediate Coverage (No Waiting Period)
Immediate, day one coverage is available to all smokers and smoking won’t change your eligibility, but your other health conditions could.
For example, if you have COPD but don’t take medicine for it anymore, some carriers will still offer you immediate coverage, and some will not. If you add diabetes into the mix things change further, as some carriers are more lenient with smokers with diabetes than others.
If you smoke and don’t have any other serious health conditions, are are very likely to get affordable, immediate, day one coverage! The only way to know if you qualify for immediate coverage as a smoker is to fill out the form or give us a call so we can go over all of your health conditions with you.
Graded Coverage
If you are one of those people who have significant health problems outside of smoking, you will probably only qualify for graded coverage, which means you do not get the full death benefit immediately if you die within two years, because it is graded over a period of two years.
Common examples of graded coverage are 30% of the death benefit if you pass away the first year, 70% of the death benefit the second year, and 100% of the death benefit after two years, but these percentages will depend on the carrier.
It is actually pretty rare that smokers don’t qualify for immediate coverage, but sometimes your unique health conditions push people into this type of coverage.
Our promise at Seniors Mutual is to do everything we can to qualify you for immediate, day one coverage!
Guaranteed Issue
In some rare cases, smokers may only qualify for a no health question guaranteed issue plan. And while these may seem nice because they ask no questions and are very fast to apply for, they come at a cost. They are generally more expensive and come with a waiting period of two years before you can receive the full death benefit.
If you die within the first two years of the policy, they will only give you back what you’ve paid in with some interest, usually 10%.
These plans are the only option for smokers who also have AIDS/HIV, are on dialysis, alzheimer’s or dementia, or have current cancer, to name a few. If you are a smoker and do not have a serious health condition mentioned above, you should at least qualify for graded coverage.
The upside to guaranteed issue plans is that they ask no health questions, you are approved almost immediately, and they are pretty affordable.
Smoker Premiums
Even on immediate day one coverage, you can expect to pay a little more as a smoker.
With that being said, that doesn’t mean it increases to unaffordable rates, especially when you have an independent agency like Seniors Mutual who can offer the best of the best companies out there.
There are really only 2-3 companies out there that don’t jack up your premiums for being a smoker, and luckily for you we offer all of them!
Think of it this way…
Most companies will jack up your monthly payment by 50% or more if you are a smoker! The companies we offer only slightly raise premium amounts and are experts at insuring smokers. You can’t get that with a captive agency or agent that only offer one company.
If You Are A Smoker, Let Us Help You Today
Just because you are a smoker does not mean you should go to one certain company.
There are still many insurance carriers to choose from!
We are experts in finding the best rate and day one coverage, if possible, for our clients. We do so by comparing all of the underwriting of each select carrier and finding you the best deal.
So if you truly want an unbiased quote that will serve you best, give us a call or fill out the form on the right and let us help you find the right amount of coverage for the right price!