I just got life insurance and they are requiring a physical to be done, they asked a series of questions and one was about my usage of marijuana and I answered no but the honest answer was yes on occasion. When I go in to get my physical are they going to look for thc when they draw blood?
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Test for marijuana in your urine, not your blood. Life insurance companies usually don’t care about occasional marijuana use, but I don’t recommend lying on your application. If they find marijuana in your urine, see it in your medical records, or discover it through the MIB, you’ll need to be honest. Misrepresenting yourself on your application will only frustrate the underwriter and the insurance company. I suggest contacting your agent to update your answer to “yes, occasional use.”
As an underwriter, it baffles me that people lie on applications. It’s a two-way contract. If you want the insurance to pay out, be honest. Otherwise, why pay for insurance that might not cover you because you misrepresented yourself? It just doesn’t make sense.
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I know why! Let me play devil’s advocate here!
Statistically, you’re very unlikely to die in the first two years and have marijuana use detected, which could lead to a claim being investigated and denied. Actuaries are just playing the odds.
Why would anyone pay 40% more for a term policy they probably won’t use just because they smoke weed or eat gummies a few times a month?
Tobacco rates for tobacco users make sense, but charging higher rates for someone who eats THC gummies a few nights a week seems crazy in 2024. However, underwriting will eventually catch up.
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It doesn’t cost 40% more for someone who uses THC a few times a month. In 2024, occasional marijuana users aren’t paying more than non-users unless they have serious mental health issues, alcohol problems, or a history of using other drugs.
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For the average person, “a few times per month” means something different than what an underwriter thinks.
The guide might say that using marijuana twice a week is fine, but three times could raise red flags about early death. That’s why people lie on applications.
We’re not discussing marijuana use for treating medical conditions, which is a separate topic. Also, you didn’t mention how the guide differentiates between medical and recreational use, the impact of age, or how a more lenient insurance partner might view it.
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Jesus this is weird prejudice… geek underwriter? What the fuck? I hope you aren’t in the insurance industry… yikes.
Every company has internal guidelines for marijuana and I haven’t worked at a carrier that hasn’t debited for “a couple times” per month. If you have no comorbidities, there is no reason why you wouldn’t qualify for best class for occasional marijuana use. Get real and enter the 21st century
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Also, there implication was tobacco rates vs NT.
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Many carriers don’t care so much about marijuana being occasionally used. Daily and weekly usage is where they begin to ask questions and consider ratings.
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The answer to your question is no, life insurers don’t test for marijuana in the blood.
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Yes, they will test your urine for drugs. If they find marijuana, they won’t automatically decline your application, but they will likely classify you as a smoker. In most states where marijuana is legalized or decriminalized, they don’t really mind. However, since you said you don’t use it, if they test positive, they will probably decline your application for lying.
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Don’t tell them. Let them rate you don’t rate yourself
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As long as you haven’t told your doctor about your marijuana use, it won’t show up on the MIB. Why are you doing the physical? I work with 12 companies that don’t require blood tests. They simply access your medical records from the database and provide an instant decision within minutes of applying.