The short answer
This guide answers the most common questions about how far back do final expense applications ask about tobacco.
Tobacco use doesn't have to stand between your family and a paid-for funeral.
Here is what to expect when you apply.
Part of our complete guide: Final Expense Insurance: The Complete Guide.
Quick answer
Smokers can usually get a level-benefit plan. Tobacco changes the price, not the plan type. Quitting before the look-back period can lower your rate.
MarketView Agency is an independent insurance agency (National Producer Number 18345705).
On this page
- How final expense applications ask about tobacco
- Final expense tobacco rates: does quitting help at this age?
- How final expense insurance works
- What happens after you apply: underwriting
- What tobacco use changes
- A worked example
- Which kind of final expense policy fits?
- Is final expense insurance right for a smoker?
- Frequently asked questions
How final expense applications ask about tobacco
Final expense applications are short, but they almost always ask about tobacco or nicotine use within a recent period. Cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco, vaping and nicotine replacement may all count, depending on the carrier.
Tobacco use usually puts you in a higher rate class, but it rarely stops you from getting a level-benefit plan if your other health answers are favorable.
Final expense tobacco rates: does quitting help at this age?
Final expense applications usually ask about tobacco within a set look-back period, which varies by carrier. If you quit before that period, you may qualify for non-tobacco rates.
If you are close to the end of a look-back period, ask an agent whether waiting a few weeks would change your rate. Never estimate your quit date; give the real one.
Compare rates from several carriers in about two minutes. Free, no obligation.
How final expense insurance works
Final expense insurance is designed to make one hard week easier for your family. It pays a modest benefit that can cover funeral and burial costs, medical bills and other final expenses, so no one has to scramble to pay them.
- Smaller amounts than a typical life policy, sized to final costs.
- Lasts for life as long as premiums are paid.
- Simpler application, usually with no medical exam.
- Flexible use: your beneficiary decides how to spend it.
What happens after you apply: underwriting
Every life insurance application goes through underwriting. That is the insurer's review of who you are, how healthy you are and how much risk the policy carries. The result is your rate class, which sets your price.
- Your answers. Health history, medications, tobacco or nicotine use, family history, travel and hobbies.
- Records. Prescription history, a shared database of prior insurance applications, and often your driving record.
- Sometimes an exam. A short visit from a paramedical examiner to check height, weight, blood pressure and lab samples.
- Sometimes medical records. For larger amounts or certain conditions, the insurer may ask your doctor's office for notes.
Insurers do not all weigh these things the same way. One carrier may treat a managed condition, like controlled blood pressure, more favorably than another. That is a big reason to compare several carriers rather than accept the first offer.
Be complete and honest on the application. Policies have a contestability period, usually the first two years, when the insurer can review a claim against what you said when you applied.
What tobacco use changes
- Tobacco users usually pay noticeably higher rates than non-users.
- Many carriers treat nicotine replacement, vaping and occasional cigars differently, so it pays to compare several.
- If you quit, ask about being re-rated after you've been tobacco-free for the carrier's required period, often 12 months.
Every carrier weighs these points differently, which is the main reason to compare several before you apply.
How to get covered in 3 steps
- Check your rate. Pick your state and answer a few quick questions about the coverage you want.
- Compare carriers. A licensed agent compares final expense insurance options from several insurers and explains the trade-offs.
- Apply and get covered. Many applications take one phone call. Coverage starts once the policy is issued and the first premium is paid.
A worked example
Say you're 34 with a $150,000 mortgage balance and 16 years left, $19,000 in other debts, and an income of $55,000. Here's one simple way to size coverage:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Mortgage balance | $150,000 |
| Other debts | $19,000 |
| 4 years of income | $220,000 |
| Total to consider | $389,000 |
In this example, a 20-year term would outlast the loan (it ends around age 54). Your own numbers will differ; use this as a starting point and adjust for savings, other coverage and future costs like school.
Which kind of final expense policy fits?
If you can answer a few health questions favorably, a simplified issue policy with a full benefit from day one is usually the best value. If some health questions are a problem, a graded benefit plan may still be available.
Guaranteed acceptance options skip health questions entirely. They are a good fallback when other plans are not available, but they cost more and include a waiting period before the full benefit is paid for natural causes.
Tip: Always try for a level-benefit policy first. Many people who expect to need a guaranteed acceptance plan qualify for something better.
Is final expense insurance right for a smoker?
Often a good fit
- you use tobacco and want final costs covered without a medical exam.
- you quit recently and want to know when better rates apply.
Maybe not the right fit
- savings already cover final costs.
- serious health issues limit you to guaranteed acceptance plans; compare carefully first.
