- Categories of Smoker
- Smoking Impact on Premiums
- Why Disclosure Is Important?
Himanshu is a content marketer with 2 years of experience in the life insurance sector. His motto is to make life insurance topics simple and easy to understand yet one level deeper for our readers.
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Updated on Apr 17, 2025 5 min read
Who Is Considered A Smoker By Term Insurance Companies?
An individual who consumes any form of tobacco products such as cigarettes, gutka, pan masala, khaini, hookah, vapes, beedi, weed, etc, is considered a smoker by term insurance companies. At the time of buying term insurance, the insurer asks you about your smoking habits. It helps life insurance companies assess the associated risk of insuring you. Life insurance companies ask some questions to check whether you are a smoker or not.
- Do you consume any kind of tobacco products?
- Have you consumed any tobacco products in the past four years?
- Have you ever used tobacco products in your life?
If the answer to any of the above questions is ‘Yes’, then you are considered a smoker by the life insurance company.
Types of Smokers
Life insurance companies classify smokers into three categories:
Preferred Smokers
These individuals smoke but do not have any health issues. The risk associated with insuring them is low. So, they have to pay comparatively lower premiums for their term plan.Typical Smokers
These types of smokers have minor health issues related to smoking. They usually have to pay more premiums than preferred smokers due to higher risk.Table-rated Smokers
These individuals smoke and have health issues related to smoking. The insurance companies charge them higher premiums than any other category of smoker.
How Smoking Impacts My Term Insurance Premiums?
Smoking has a direct impact on your term insurance premiums. If you are a smoker, then the insurance company will charge you a high premium as compared to a non-smoker. This is so because smoking lowers your life expectancy, and you are more likely to suffer from heart and lung issues.
Let’s understand how smoking impacts your term insurance premiums with a simple premium illustration.
Two friends, Jayesh and Ramesh, started their careers as financial analysts at an MNC. They decided to buy a term plan to protect their loved ones financially. Jayesh is a smoker, while Ramesh is a non-smoker.
The below premium illustration tables show how the term plan works for Jayesh and Ramesh.
Term Plan for Jayesh
| Plan Name | Policyholder’s Age | Smoking Habits | Sum Assured | Policy Tenure | Annual Premiums |
| Axis Max Smart Term Plan Plus | 30 years | Smoker | Rs 1 crore | 30 years | Rs 16,687 |
Term Plan for Ramesh
| Plan Name | Policyholder’s Age | Smoking Habits | Sum Assured | Policy Tenure | Annual Premiums |
| Axis Max Smart Term Plan Plus | 30 years | Non Smoker | Rs 1 crore | 30 years | Rs 10,429 |
The above premium tables show how smoking can impact your term insurance premiums, despite other factors such as age, income, policy tenure, etc, remaining the same.
To calculate premiums for your term insurance plan, you can use the PolicyX Term Insurance Calculator.
What Happens If I Start Smoking After Buying A Term Plan?
If you start smoking after buying a term insurance policy, it’s advised to inform the insurance company about your smoking habits at the time of policy renewal to avoid potential claim issues. Your insurer may also increase your insurance premiums once they get to know about your smoking habits due to the increased risk.
Moreover, if something happens to you during the policy tenure and the insurer discovers your smoking habit, they may delay or reject your claims. That’s why you must inform the insurer about your smoking habits so that your family can easily get the claim amount in your absence.
What Happens If You Quit Smoking After Buying Term Insurance?
If you quit smoking after buying term insurance for smokers, it will not impact your policy. The insurance companies charge higher premiums to smokers as their life expectancy is comparatively lower. In case you quit smoking after buying a term plan, you may ask your insurer to reevaluate your premiums. If approved, the insurance company may change your status from a smoker to a non-smoker. However, certain insurers do not allow you to change your status during the policy tenure.
You can also apply for a new term plan after a certain period of quitting smoking. It’s important to inform the insurance company about your past smoking habits to avoid claim rejection in the future.
What If I Do Not Disclose My Smoking Habits?
Not disclosing or lying about your smoking habits may have various consequences:
Claim Rejection
Your insurance company may reject your term policy claim on the grounds of non-disclosure of complete information.Policy Cancellation
Your policy can be canceled if you do not inform your insurer about your smoking habits at the time of policy purchase.Legal Action
The insurer can take legal action for fraud and non-disclosure of smoking habits.
Conclusion
Smoking not only results in expensive term insurance premiums but also impacts your health negatively. That’s why it is recommended to avoid smoking. No matter whether you are a smoker or a non-smoker, you must provide true information to your insurer to avoid any issues at the time of claim settlement. In case you start smoking after buying term insurance, you must inform the insurance company about the same.
If you are confused about which term insurance is right for you as a smoker, you can contact us at PolicyX.com or call us at 1800-420-0269.
We offer No Spam, No Gimmicks, Only Xpert Insurance Advice.
FAQs: What If I Start Smoking After Taking Term Insurance?
1. Can I smoke after buying term insurance?
You can smoke after buying a term insurance plan, but you should inform your insurer about the same to avoid claim rejection.
2. How many types of smokers are there?
Generally, there are three types of smokers: preferred smokers, typical smokers, and table-rated smokers.
3. What happens if I don’t inform the insurer about my smoking habits?
If you do not inform the insurer about your smoking habits, your claim may be rejected.
4. Can I change my status from a smoker to a non-smoker if I quit smoking?
The insurance companies usually do not allow you to change your status from a smoker to a non-smoker for an ongoing policy. You can purchase a new term plan when you quit smoking, but make sure to inform the insurer about your past smoking habits.
5. How does smoking affect my term insurance premiums?
The insurance company will charge you a high premium if you are a smoker, as you are more prone to health issues and the risk associated with insuring you is higher.
6. Do I have to tell my life insurance company if I start smoking?
Ideally, you should tell your life insurance company if you start smoking to avoid claim rejection in the future.
7. How long after quitting smoking are you considered a non-smoker?
You are considered a non-smoker if you have quit smoking for at least one year.
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Written By: Himanshu Kumar
Himanshu is a seasoned content writer specializing in keeping readers engaged with the insurance industry, term and life insurance developments, etc. With an experience of 2 years in insurance and HR tech, Himanshu simplifies the insurance information and it is completely visible in his content pieces. He believes in making the content understandable to any common man.
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