Can Smokers Get Health Insurance?

We all know that smoking is injurious to health, and yet there are many people who continue to do it. But it is imperative to try to get health insurance and get yourself covered. However, do smokers get health insurance? Read on to find out.

Yes, smokers do get health insurance. In fact, as per the mandate given by the Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority of India (IRDAI), insurance companies need to offer special health plans to smokers.

Define a smoker

Let's first understand who is considered a smoker. Some people may say that they smoke occasionally. But for insurance companies, occasional smoking is also considered an equal risk as a regular smoker. As per insurance companies, an individual who consumes cigarettes, cigars, hookahs and pipes or who snuffs or chews tobacco more than four times a week is considered a smoker. Additionally, if you have smoked over four times a week even in the last six months, you are considered a smoker.

Why do smokers have high premium charges?

Now that we have established the fact that smokers can buy health insurance, let's understand how it is done. To begin with, smokers are charged a higher premium than what a non-smoker would be charged. The difference in premium depends on individual insurance providers. One of the main reasons for charging a higher premium is that smokers pose a higher liability for insurance companies as they are more likely to have health issues and are more likely to raise a claim.

However, the difference in premium may also depend on the number of cigarettes a person smokes in a day or week. Higher the number of cigarettes, the higher the risk and so higher the premium. Additionally, if an insurance company feels that the health of a person is deteriorating or leading to further serious health issues like heart problems or lung diseases, the insurance company may either increase the premium or deny health insurance.

This is one of the reasons why most insurance providers insist on pre-policy medical checks as it helps them determine the premium cost or decide if they want to offer health insurance or deny insurance to a person.

Why take the hassle of insurance?

With all the risks that smokers expose themselves to, it is imperative to get health insurance. According to a CDC backed survey in 2016-17, both active and passive smoking kills approximately 1.2 million people in India every year. This helps us understand how adversely smoking impacts our health. To name a few, smoking is known to cause lung diseases, lung cancer, respiratory disorders, heart diseases, oral cancer, pregnancy issues and more.

Health issues caused due to smoking are long-term and difficult to treat. Hence the treatment also may cost higher. Keeping in mind the rising cost of living these health issues have the potential to dry up your coffers and exhaust your life savings.   

Benefits of having health insurance

Considering the high risk of health-related issues that smokers may have, it becomes a necessity for smokers to have health insurance. As health issues caused due to smoking are long-term and hence difficult to treat, the cost of treatment is also higher. Having health insurance helps you reduce the financial strain of the treatment.

Apart from sharing the financial burden for health treatments, health insurance also helps in cashless treatments in network hospitals. This comes in handy in case of emergencies like a heart attack or cancer-related complications.

 Most insurance providers also offer preventive health check-ups, irrespective of whether you are a smoker or not. This helps in the early detection of life-threatening diseases and faster treatments allowing you to plan your treatment and finances most suited for you.

 Lastly, health insurance also ensures you get tax benefits on your hard-earned money and plan your finances better.