Health Insurer Asks: Are You a Tobacco User?
- Thread starter Greenwit
- Start date
Yes, but that is a guess. Up here in Saskatchewan if you use any form of tobacco within the last 12 months your considered a tobacco user. If you have the "occational" cigar at a wedding or a child's birth it is put in a special class but your still considered a tobacco user - your rates are slightly better then a full on smoker.
But things can be a little backwards where I am from.
But things can be a little backwards where I am from.
As much as I hate to say it, yes, you are a tobacco user. Whether or not you actually disclose it is up to you. Some insurance companies consider a smoker of even one cigar per year a "tobacco user".
A close friend who owns one of the largest drug testing companies says 11 days to be safe. (Blood).
Ouch, I hadn't thought of that. But that's a good heads up. We have random drug testing at work. I've been checked once in ten years. I suppose they could check of nicotine. When they tap you for a test, you got 24 hours to pee in their jar.
BTW, I don't think they are doing the retroactive thing. But this is new for our company and I'm gonna need to make the call within the next month which is our insurance sign up month for the next fiscal year.
You already know the answerDo what you must, but know what you do.
Hey where did you get that avatar? Looks pretty cool.
—Richard
My avatar? I can't remember where that came from but it's a corojo plant. :ss
They would definitely have cause to deny a claim related to a smoking related illness. Whether it would hold up or not, I don't know.
You are not a tobacco user, you are a tobacco taster.
I never answer that question yes, even when I chewed. You smoke two a week, you are not going to have a lot of nicotine in your system anyway. F'em, if they test you say you were in a smokey bar the night before, or at a buddies house playing cards where everyone was smoking.:2
You get cancer, they can't difinitively say it was from cigars. My Mom just got cancer, she smoked for 30 yrs, but they couldn't tell her it was absolutely, 100%, the cause.
I never answer that question yes, even when I chewed. You smoke two a week, you are not going to have a lot of nicotine in your system anyway. F'em, if they test you say you were in a smokey bar the night before, or at a buddies house playing cards where everyone was smoking.:2
You get cancer, they can't difinitively say it was from cigars. My Mom just got cancer, she smoked for 30 yrs, but they couldn't tell her it was absolutely, 100%, the cause.
I have to agree. If you smoke one or 20, you are still smoking. It is not fair to be grouped like that, but so is life. I would rather pay more and know I was going to be taken care of, than risk a denied claim. Same usually goes for life insurance. Would you want to risk the future of your kids/wife with something as trivial as this? Just my opinion.
LORD PUFFER
Lowland Gorilla
I have gone to various doctors over the years, and no matter what you are in for, they routinely ask if you are a smoker. I ask them to help define it.
Some have indicated cigarettes only, some ignore it when I say I have the occasional cigar.
The definitive answer came from a Mayo Clinic doctor I was meeting with. He asked if I was a smoker, I asked him what his definition was. His response "If you have smoked or used any tobacco product, you are a smoker. He said from a medical perspective, all he cared about was if you had had any form of tobacco product in your system. No ifs, ands, or buts.
Sometimes you are what you are.
Some have indicated cigarettes only, some ignore it when I say I have the occasional cigar.
The definitive answer came from a Mayo Clinic doctor I was meeting with. He asked if I was a smoker, I asked him what his definition was. His response "If you have smoked or used any tobacco product, you are a smoker. He said from a medical perspective, all he cared about was if you had had any form of tobacco product in your system. No ifs, ands, or buts.
Sometimes you are what you are.
Funnymantrip
Punch Suckling in Brain
My father in law does insurance. He set my wife and I up with a company that allows cigar smoking (occasional). I might have stretched the truth a bit on how many cigars I smoke, but I am thinking 3 pc's is about the same as a churchill right. Both my wife and I were in our 20's no adverse medical history, we don't skydive Hers is $44 a quarter Mine is $64. Though when we got our "test results back" my nicotine level was 9x higher.
mosesbotbol
Elder Jungle Leader
Might be worth giving your father in law and his company as plug as this something of benefit to everyone reading this thread.