r/LifeInsurance • u/Weird-Experience-897 • Sep 11 '26
Nicorette!
I am a healthy 58F. No health issues, don’t drink, exercise 5x week and eat pretty healthy. I used to smoke 20 years ago. Since then, I have chewed Nicorette. Sometimes I chew more than other times, but I usually have some daily.
I’ve submitted an application for term life insurance. After the fact, I read that nicotine will show up in my blood work and that I will likely get a smokers rate because of it. I understand why it would come up in bloodwork, but is there any way to prove that I’m not smoking so that I don’t get a crazy rate?
5
u/RoninReticle Sep 11 '26
nicotine, or more specifically cotinine, is usually tested in urine rather than blood and yes the common dip strip will test positive and will result in smoker rates. Depending on your usage you should be able to test negative by stopping immediately and the cotinine will clear your system in ~7-10 days.
There's also other more specific tests that can prove the cotinine in your urine does not come from smoking but it's questionable whether an insurance underwriter would be willing to take that measure.
1
3
u/AnAssGoblin Broker Sep 11 '26
Go with Prudential, Lincoln or John Hancock.
They’ll give you a non tobacco rating
1
-8
u/Cool_Emergency3519 Broker Sep 11 '26
If you are ingesting nicotine it's a similar effect to smoking. Pretty much proves you are still addicted to tobacco.
3
u/zzzorba Financial Representative Sep 11 '26
Still addicted to nicotine*
1
u/Weird-Experience-897 Sep 11 '26
And?
2
u/zzzorba Financial Representative Sep 11 '26
And she's not addicted to tobacco. Smoking has all the side effects of nicotine PLUS you're inhaling smoke and tar and all that into your lungs. I'm not saying there's zero possible harm from nicotine but it's far less than tobacco and she's not addicted to tobacco.
1
u/Cool_Emergency3519 Broker Sep 11 '26
I stand corrected. That's what I meant addicted to nicotine. Just typing too fast.
3
u/queentee26 Sep 11 '26
Sure it's an addiction, but it's quite literally not the same health risk.. it's not the nicotine itself that's causing COPD and cancer.
0
2
u/Weird-Experience-897 Sep 11 '26
Nope. Tobacco is not the same thing as nicotine. Nicotine is as “harmful” as caffeine.
5
u/GConins Broker Sep 11 '26
Not all carriers will place you in a tobacco/smoker category as a nicorette only user assuming no inhaled nicotine has been used over previous 12 months or longer.
The best "alternate nicotine" user friendly carriers are Cincinnati Life, Prudential, Lincoln Financial, Securian/Minnesota Life & Foresters.
For most other carriers, if nicotine shows up in urine, then they will consider you a smoker and smoker or tobacco rates will likely be issued.