Preferred/Non-Tobacco Rates During Open Enrollement

[Newby]

Is it KY maybe? I was under the impression that all states gave NT rates during OE. Glad I read this. I'll have to check on the Indiana carriers as I'm starting to sell MS there too.

In KY all carriers give non tobbaco rates if it's not underwritten.

In IN they pay smoker rates unless the carrier just opts to not charge smoker rates. Aetna gives all in Indiana non tobbaco rates for instance.

 

[somarco]

Not entirely accurate during OE.

Which is why the qualifier was in the statement.

Until a couple of years ago BCBSGA did not ask tobacco. Same rates tob or not, and unisex rates.

My response was that during OE not all companies require that the tobacco question be answered. At least in my neck of the woods.

Every neck is different.

 

[Fisher]

Which was my apparently obtuse point.

 

[smokin goose]

In KY all carriers give non tobbaco rates if it's not underwritten. In IN they pay smoker rates unless the carrier just opts to not charge smoker rates. Aetna gives all in Indiana non tobbaco rates for instance.

Anybody else you can think of?

 

[potowatomibrown]

Thanks for all the input. I understand the app for each carrier will walk you through this issue. However during my research I read that roughly 25% of the states require a carrier to issue at the Non-Tobacco/Preferred rates for open enrollment or guaranteed issue rights, regardless of actual tobacco usage. So really my question is two fold. 1. Is this true? 2. Does anybody know what states make up the roughly 25%

I am pretty sure the answer to #1 is yes, state law determines whether or not the carrier can rate someone higher if they answer yes to the tobacco question. However I am not sure it's 25% of the states have this rule.

Someone above said it's up to the carrier. That is also true if the state says it's ok to rate tobacco then I suppose the carrier could choose not to if they wanted but that wasn't really the point of my question.

 

[somarco]

This may seem like a silly idea, but you could ask the carriers about how they address this in states where you hope to write business.

 

[WCMason]

Thanks for all the input. I understand the app for each carrier will walk you through this issue. However during my research I read that roughly 25% of the states require a carrier to issue at the Non-Tobacco/Preferred rates for open enrollment or guaranteed issue rights, regardless of actual tobacco usage. So really my question is two fold. 1. Is this true? 2. Does anybody know what states make up the roughly 25% I am pretty sure the answer to #1 is yes, state law determines whether or not the carrier can rate someone higher if they answer yes to the tobacco question. However I am not sure it's 25% of the states have this rule. Someone above said it's up to the carrier. That is also true if the state says it's ok to rate tobacco then I suppose the carrier could choose not to if they wanted but that wasn't really the point of my question.

All this research is good if you're writing a term paper.

 

[jdeasy]

It's a carrier issue not a state issue.

It's a state issue. In Ky no company can ask the smoking question for open enrollment or GI cases. Those same companies do ask in Indiana.

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In KY all carriers give non tobbaco rates if it's not underwritten.

In IN they pay smoker rates unless the carrier just opts to not charge smoker rates. Aetna gives all in Indiana non tobbaco rates for instance.

Aetna charges my smokers in Indiana the smoking rate. On the old AmCon and also on the CLI.

 

[smokin goose]

It's a state issue. In Ky no company can ask the smoking question for open enrollment or GI cases. Those same companies do ask in Indiana. ---------- Aetna charges my smokers in Indiana the smoking rate. On the old AmCon and also on the CLI.

I shoulda known to just ask you in the first place.

 

[Newby]

I shoulda known to just ask you in the first place.

Never take advice about Hoosiers from a Kentuckian.

Me and JD and Travis were talking about this just this evening. JD thought all companies charged smoker rates in Indiana for non underwritten cases. Travis thought none of them did.

They were both wrong. Most companies do. But at least one (Aetna) doesn't. There may be others. Aetna is very competitive here. So I've never needed a 2nd one for GI cases. Just write Aetna for those smokers and you will be fine.