Stoptober 2017

With October nearing a close it marks the end of Stoptober. This scheme encourages you to stop smoking for the whole of October in an attempt to quit in the long term.

Stopping smoking is hard but there are many different strategies that can be used:

  • Medicines – such as nicotine replacement therapy or varenicline (Champix®) or bupropion hydrochloride (Zyban®). These have also been shown to help people to quit smoking.
  • E-Cigarettes – battery powered vaporisers that enable inhalation of nicotine vapour. Unlike tobacco smoke, nicotine vapour does not contain tar, carbon monoxide, or cancer-causing chemicals.
  • Stop smoking programmes, such as Allen Carr’s Easyway to stop smoking. Vitality Health have partnered with Allen Carr’s Easyway to Stop Smoking and adult policyholders could save up to £299 on the on the standard retail price.

Does smoking affect Private Medical Insurance Premiums?

With Private Medical Insurance, smoking may have an effect on the premium you are offered. This will depend entirely on whether the insurer requires confirmation of your smoking status. The increase in premium is because a smoker will have a high risk of smoking relating illness.

When you buy a health insurance policy on a company basis, they do not ask about the smoking status of your employees and therefore there is no premium difference.

Health Insurers define a smoker as anyone who has used tobacco products in the past 12 months. This is regardless of whether or not you are only an occasional smoker. To be considered as a non-smoker you would have to be completely tobacco free for 12 consecutive months.

It is important to note that insurers do class e-cigarettes, chewing tobacco and nicotine patches as tobacco products, so any individual using these would still be classed as a smoker.

Use Stoptober to help quit the habit for good!!

Whether you are a smoker or non-smoker, we can assist you in finding a suitable Health Insurance policy.

Simply contact us on 01245 929129 or email enquires@smphealthcare.com and we will be happy to help you.