At this time (May 2014) insurance carriers are operating on the honor system for people to report whether they are tobacco users or not. So, unlike the case when you may be applying for certain levels of life insurance, you are not required to take a physical exam where blood or saliva may be taken to test for nicotine.
Technically, the Affordable Care Act does allow for a premium adjustment for tobacco usage. In practical terms many health insurance carriers recognize that enforcement of this provision is impractical and so whether a health insurance carrier chooses to apply the allowable rate adjustment for tobacco use varies from insurance carrier to insurance carrier. Some are factoring in an assumed amount of tobacco usage in their base rates and applying a uniform rate to tobacco users and non-users alike. Other carriers are adjusting their rates to account for tobacco use though they may not choose to apply the maximum load allowed under the law.
This is an issue you should discuss with your insurance agent when shopping for coverage as it may guide you in your selection of an insurance carrier. Just to be clear, if there is a tobacco use question on your application and you provide a misleading answer this is technically fraudulent and could have repercussions if it is uncovered.
Technically, the Affordable Care Act does allow for a premium adjustment for tobacco usage. In practical terms many health insurance carriers recognize that enforcement of this provision is impractical and so whether a health insurance carrier chooses to apply the allowable rate adjustment for tobacco use varies from insurance carrier to insurance carrier. Some are factoring in an assumed amount of tobacco usage in their base rates and applying a uniform rate to tobacco users and non-users alike. Other carriers are adjusting their rates to account for tobacco use though they may not choose to apply the maximum load allowed under the law.
This is an issue you should discuss with your insurance agent when shopping for coverage as it may guide you in your selection of an insurance carrier. Just to be clear, if there is a tobacco use question on your application and you provide a misleading answer this is technically fraudulent and could have repercussions if it is uncovered.