Does Smoking Increase Health Insurance Premiums?

As you are well aware with many insurance products, particularly the protection products such as Life Insurance and Income Protection, being a smoker results in higher premiums due to the higher risk.

Will smoking make a different to my premium?

Generally, yes. Most insurers will ask if you’re a smoker and increase premiums accordingly, although this may not be the case for all insurers.

Incentives for being healthy

One insurer may provide more preferable rates for a younger individual who smokes while another may be more competitive for a fit and active individual moving towards retirement.

As with any protection product a smoker is often defined as an individual who has used tobacco products in the past 12 months. Thus to be considered a non-smoker you usually have to have been smoke-free for 12 consecutive months.