Tobacco use and final expense coverage
Final expense insurance is a smaller whole life policy meant for funeral costs and final bills. Using tobacco or nicotine does not stop you from comparing plans. It is simply one of the things many insurers ask about, along with your age, your health and the face amount you want.
Many insurers price tobacco users differently from non-users, so the premium you are quoted may be higher. Because final expense premiums are usually level, whatever premium you start with is usually the one you keep for the life of the policy.
What insurers may ask
Questions vary by insurer. For example, many insurers ask:
Answer exactly. Insurers often check prescription history and medical records, and an answer that does not match those records can change the plan you are offered.
- Whether you have smoked cigarettes, cigars or a pipe recently
- Whether you use chewing tobacco or snuff
- Whether you use nicotine products such as vapes
- How long ago you stopped, if you have quit
Talk to a licensed agent: (949) 807-3995
How tobacco fits with the rest of your health
Tobacco is one answer among many. Insurers also look at diagnosis dates, hospital stays, medications, oxygen use and conditions treated in the last 2 to 5 years. When your answers fit an insurer's level benefit plan, which has no medical exam and a short list of health questions, the full benefit is usually paid from the first day for those who qualify.
Some histories lead to a graded or modified plan, which pays a reduced benefit for a natural-cause death in the first two or three years. A guaranteed issue plan asks no health questions, but it pays a limited benefit for a natural-cause death in the first two years and usually costs more. Accidental death is usually covered in full from the start.
Finding an amount that fits a tobacco premium
Since tobacco can raise the premium, the face amount matters even more. Face amounts often run from a few thousand dollars up to about $50,000. Many people size the policy to a funeral: the National Funeral Directors Association's 2023 General Price List Study put the national median at $8,300 for a funeral with viewing and burial and $6,280 with viewing and cremation, before cemetery, plot, monument or marker costs.
If the premium for your first choice is too high, a smaller amount may still cover a good share of the funeral.
Getting a quote from Virginia
On the call, the agent asks what tobacco or nicotine products you use, if any, along with your age and the insurers' health questions. Because each insurer treats tobacco in its own way, quotes from several insurers are compared side by side, which can make a real difference here. You can apply by phone if a plan fits. The quote is free and there is no obligation.
From anywhere in Virginia, you can reach Eterna's licensed agents every day, 9am to 9pm Eastern time. They compare plans from several insurers for Virginia residents, and plans, prices and availability vary by state, insurer, age and health. If you want to check an agent's license or ask a question about an insurer, the Virginia Bureau of Insurance is at https://www.scc.virginia.gov/regulated-industries/bureau-of-insurance/.
