Anti-Tobacco Day - How Tobacco Consumption Affects Your Health Insurance

Posted on: May 16, 2022 | 3 mins | Written by: HDFC ERGO Team

Anti-Tobacco Day - How Tobacco Consumption Affects Your Health Insurance

Smoking cigarettes or consuming tobacco are the worst things you can do to your health. According to the World Health Organisation, tobacco consumption kills over 8 million people every year. This includes deaths from direct tobacco use as well as second-hand smoke. Since tobacco consumption can lead to cardiovascular diseases, lung diseases, cancer, stroke, and other conditions, the cost of health insurance is usually higher for those who are addicted to chewing tobacco and smokers. Although on the expensive side, health insurance and critical illness insurance are must-haves for such people. The premiums of these healthcare plans will be quite affordable when compared to the medical costs that tobacco-related diseases can incur. Since you can easily find the best health insurance in India online for people of all ages, you can buy an adequate medical insurance plan and stay covered.

How smoking and consuming tobacco affects your health insurance policy

Smoking or consuming tobacco affects health insurance premiums in the following ways:

• Basic parameters

Insurance companies consider a few parameters before fixing the premium amount. Some important ones are age, location, plan type, number of dependents, pre-existing conditions, and tobacco use.

• Higher premiums

Since people who consume tobacco are at a higher risk of suffering from major diseases, their health insurance policy premiums are usually on the higher side.

• Frequency of tobacco use

Insurance providers may charge higher premiums if a person is a regular smoker or consumes tobacco more frequently.

Do insurance companies give health insurance to tobacco consumers?

Yes, insurers do provide health insurance to tobacco consumers. However, policyholders need to pay higher premiums for their healthcare plans. Such plans may also have additional terms and conditions that policyholders must comply with. Since such people are at a higher risk of lifestyle diseases, it is important that they always keep an adequate health insurance policy handy, even if they have to pay high premiums for the same.

Why is it essential to disclose your smoking and tobacco consumption habit to your insurer?

If you smoke cigarettes or consume tobacco, you must disclose the same to your health insurance provider to avoid legal issues later.

In addition to disclosing your smoking habits to the insurance company, you must also tell them how often or how many cigarettes you smoke in a day. Do not hide anything from your insurer, as medical tests can detect the nicotine quantity in the blood and urine. And any false disclosure can lead to claim rejection. Hence, paying higher premiums is better than facing complete health insurance claim rejection.

Important things that you must know before buying health insurance

Some crucial points to keep in mind before buying health insurance are listed below.

1. Be honest

When buying health insurance, make sure you are honest with the insurance provider about your smoking habits and pre-existing conditions. Non-disclosure of these can lead to problems during claim settlement.

2. Medical tests

If you smoke cigarettes and have a pre-existing condition, your insurance provider may ask you to take certain medical tests to determine any health complications.

3. Insurance premium

The premium of your health insurance policy will depend on how often you smoke cigarettes or consume tobacco. If you smoke more cigarettes every day or have been consuming tobacco for over 6 months, your health insurance will carry a higher premium. If you smoke occasionally, the premium will be on the lower side.

How does smoking and tobacco consumption affect your health?

Both smoking and tobacco consumption can affect your health and lead to serious health issues. The following are some harmful effects of smoking and consuming tobacco on a regular basis:

1. Heart-diseases

Tobacco smoke contains chemicals that can narrow the arteries and put excessive pressure on the heart. It can also slow down the blood flow in your body and prevent oxygen from reaching the vital organs.

2. Lung conditions

The tar in tobacco can cover the lungs and prevent them from functioning properly. Tobacco also contains carbon monoxide that can reduce oxygen levels in the heart and lead to breathing issues. The smoke can also irritate the throat and lungs, cause excessive coughing, and damage lung tissues. Cigarette smoking is also among the leading causes of lung cancer.

3. COPD

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD s a lung condition that causes breathing difficulty. In severe cases, COPD can also lead to long-term disability or death of the patient.

4. Stroke

Strokes happen due to temporary blockage of blood supply to the brain. Smoking can narrow the arteries, restrict or temporarily block the blood supply to the brain, and lead to a stroke. A stroke can alter brain function, cause paralysis, affect speech and even cause death of the patient.

5. Asthma

Cigarette smoke can irritate the air passages and trigger severe asthma attacks. Asthma can affect the airways in your lungs and cause irreversible damage to them. Some common symptoms of asthma are severe coughing, wheezing, and breathlessness.

6. Cancer

people who regularly consume tobacco are more likely to develop cancer in the liver, colon, cervix, stomach, pancreas, bladder, and other organs in the body.

7. Other conditions

Smoking or tobacco consumption can also lead to diabetes, blindness, age-related macular degeneration, premature birth of babies, and other conditions.

Tips for smokers to reduce their health insurance premiums

The following are some tips that smokers can follow to reduce their health insurance premiums:

• Quit smoking:If you quit smoking, insurance companies may reduce the premium of your healthcare plan after a couple of years.

• Join smoking and tobacco cessation programs: If you really want to quit smoking but are unable to do so, you can join a smoking cessation program. And after joining the program, make sure you stay away from smoking and tobacco consumption for at least 2 years before you can enjoy low premium benefits.

• Find the right insurance company: Some insurance companies may offer health insurance to smokers and tobacco consumers at economical rates. You can compare the premiums of different healthcare plans and zero in on the most feasible option.

Conclusion

Since smokers have a greater risk of suffering from different health conditions, they must pay higher premiums for their healthcare policies. Also, considering the relationship between tobacco and health, keeping an adequate health insurance policy handy for those uncertain times is wise. You can easily buy the best health insurance in India online or from an insurance agent and stay covered against medical emergencies and other associated expenses. You can also take critical illness insurance as an add-on for better coverage. Celebrating Anti-Tobacco Day or World No-Tobacco Day will take on a new meaning when we take measures to safeguard our health, both as active and passive smokers.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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