Smoking has an adverse effect on your health. You must see the warning message on all cigarette packs: “Smoking is harmful to health”. Smoking is the leading cause of 30% of all cancer deaths, and the risk of heart attack is 16 times higher.
There are nearly 120 million smokers in India. According to the World Health Organization, India accounts for approximately 12% of the world’s smoking population. The number of men who smoke has increased from 78 million in 1998 to 108 million in 2015. Tobacco consumption causes 6 million deaths every year. Direct tobacco consumption caused more than 5 million deaths, and 600,000 deaths were the result of exposure to second-hand smoke. Taking into account the serious risks to public health, the government has banned smoking in public places from October 2, 2008.
This not only means your health, but also means medicare advantage vs supplement that due to increased health risks and shortened life expectancy, you need to pay higher premiums for health insurance. However, non-smokers will receive additional discounts to reward a healthy lifestyle. As a smoker, it is recommended not to hide smoking habits from health insurance providers, as this will help you solve health problems related to smoking.
There is a lot of curiosity among people about how smoking affects health insurance and its costs. Let us educate ourselves about smoking and its impact on health insurance.
Smoking-what it means
Smoking involves inhaling the smoke from burning tobacco in the form of cigarettes, cigars and bees. Whether you smoke occasionally or frequently, you are considered a smoker under health insurance.
Smokers can purchase health insurance, but the insurance company may charge additional insurance premiums or deny your insurance claims, depending on the number of cigarettes you smoke regularly. Smokers may also need to undergo other medical tests to help insurance companies determine risk factors and then charge premiums accordingly.
How smoking affects your health and insurance premiums
Smoking can have serious consequences for your health, some of which are described below.
Circulatory system: Smoking increases the risk of heartache and blood pressure. The accumulation of fatty acids can lead to atherosclerosis.
Immune system: Smoking can cause serious and long-term diseases. Smokers are more likely to develop stomach ulcers, cancer, pneumonia, high blood pressure, bronchitis and other viral/bacterial/fungal infections.
