Insurance considerations

[Walt]

For me this is academic per my circumstance but I have long wondered how insurers treat vaping as apposed to smoking?  Maybe as smoking?  Anyone had any experience with health, life, etc. insurance?

[FXRich]

10 minutes ago, Walt said:

For me this is academic per my circumstance but I have long wondered how insurers treat vaping as apposed to smoking?  Maybe as smoking?  Anyone had any experience with health, life, etc. insurance?

If they go by your medical records it might make a difference. According to my Dr's  nurse vaping is the same as smoking, but my Dr says its not, so my medical records say I don't smoke. Depends on the paperwork I suppose.

[Walt]

6 minutes ago, FXRich said:

If they go by your medical records it might make a difference. According to my Dr's  nurse vaping is the same as smoking, but my Dr says its not, so my medical records say I don't smoke. Depends on the paperwork I suppose.

Interesting. Thanks!  

[Earthling789]

My insurance company (and employer) changed "smoking" to "Nicotine Use" several years ago.  So, even though you don't smoke, if you have Nicotine in your juice, you are a Nicotine user and subject to their 25% surcharge on premiums :(

Like @FXRich, My Dr does not consider vaping the same as smoking, even if you are a high Nicotine user, so my paperwork on my annual physical shows NO check-mark next to "Nicotine use", and my premiums aren't subjected to their equivalent of a "sin-tax".

Oddly enough, also... my last blood work for my physical did not show Nicotine in my blood-stream, beyond the trace-amounts a heavy vegetable eater would have, anyway.  I had my blood work done at 8am... but I hadn't vaped anything with Nicotine for about 12 hours before the test (I use 0-nic juice before bedtime), but my regular daily vape was 9mg... I think that also helped?

[Walt]

54 minutes ago, Earthling789 said:

My insurance company (and employer) changed "smoking" to "Nicotine Use" several years ago.  So, even though you don't smoke, if you have Nicotine in your juice, you are a Nicotine user and subject to their 25% surcharge on premiums :(

Like @FXRich, My Dr does not consider vaping the same as smoking, even if you are a high Nicotine user, so my paperwork on my annual physical shows NO check-mark next to "Nicotine use", and my premiums aren't subjected to their equivalent of a "sin-tax".

Oddly enough, also... my last blood work for my physical did not show Nicotine in my blood-stream, beyond the trace-amounts a heavy vegetable eater would have, anyway.  I had my blood work done at 8am... but I hadn't vaped anything with Nicotine for about 12 hours before the test (I use 0-nic juice before bedtime), but my regular daily vape was 9mg... I think that also helped?

Wow!  All good stuff!!!  Very interesting for sure.  There are a lot of unsaid things there that quite frankly support "our" position.  

[Jeffb]

When I got life insurance I had to have a physical. I knew they were going to test for nicotine so I vaped 0 mg for a couple of weeks prior to the physical.

[Walt]

3 minutes ago, Jeffb said:

When I got life insurance I had to have a physical. I knew they were going to test for nicotine so I vaped 0 mg for a couple of weeks prior to the physical.

Good plan.  The whole mess is a load, but it be what it be. 

[Earthling789]

10 hours ago, Jeffb said:

When I got life insurance I had to have a physical. I knew they were going to test for nicotine so I vaped 0 mg for a couple of weeks prior to the physical.

Nicotine is usually detectable in a blood test for 1-3 days after the consumption.  However, the length of time that nicotine stays in your system may vary based on how much or how often you consume, the volume you consume, and may also be affected by your age and general health.

In general though... a light vaper (a few ml of <9mg strength) will not show Nicotine in their system after a day or two vaping 0-Nic.  If you are a 10-plus-ml per day vaper of 36mg strength (with poorer health or beyond middle-age)... it may take an additional day or two, possibly a week to work Nicotine out of your system.

A couple of weeks may have been over-kill, but that is one way to guarantee your blood-test was clear of Nicotine  

NOW, Urine tests can detect Nicotine 15-20 days after your last ingestion....  Testing of your hair can easily detect Nicotine consumption 1-3 MONTHS after consumption or passive contact, and in some cases, it can be detected up to a year later (but usually only in those with thick, dark hair, or red-heads).

Most insurance and health exams only test for Nicotine using a blood sample, and trace-amounts are ignored as passive ingestion (second-hand smoke) or someone who eats large quantities of eggplant, broccoli, potatoes, tomatoes, etc.  You can ask your insurance company how they test for each type of "toxin" prior to your physical.  They have to disclose it to you... but don't just ask "how do you test for Nicotine?", you have to ask for their full testing process and a list of all things they are looking for... acceptable ranges, etc.

[Walt]

This may sound crazy, but I am actually excited about my next check-up.  I will have had close to a year in and will have been at 3mg for half of that time when the appointment occurs.  I'm not going to say a word about vaping until we get toward the end of the check-up.  I want to see if the Doc catches anything on his own.  I may be disappointed but that has happened before.  

[Foofightervapegirl1]

My doctors were all so ecstatic I put down the stinkies I got changed to non- smoker. Period end of story.I hope yours do the same!

[Emma V]

May be not as smoking, but just a habit?