Best Life Insurance for Smokers (2025)

Nationwide is the best life insurance company for smokers. It provides competitive rates, good customer experience and multiple policy choices, receiving an overall MoneyGeek score of 97 out of 100.

Life insurance companies use an applicant's health, occupation, age, lifestyle and habits to determine premiums. People who smoke tend to pay more than nonsmokers due to the health risks that come with smoking. Comparing quotes and product features can help you find the best policy and provider based on your needs and profile.

Nationwide is MoneyGeek's top pick for smokers, with a MoneyGeek score of 97 out of 100. Its 10-year term policy with $250,000 in coverage averages $36 monthly. It also excels in high-coverage options, offering a $1 million policy at an average cost of $77 and earning a score of 98 for this category.

GEICO is our top choice for senior smokers aged 61 to 70, with a MoneyGeek score of 96 out of 100. The company offers a 10-year term policy issued through partners at $389 monthly.

State Farm tops our list for no-exam and whole life insurance for smokers. It earned a MoneyGeek score of 99 out of 100, the highest rating in these categories.

Life insurance rates vary by company, age and health status. Smokers pay higher premiums than nonsmokers. Based on average rates, male smokers pay $41 per month for a 10-year term life insurance policy with $250,000 coverage.

Costs also vary by life insurance company. To highlight the ranges you can expect to pay for life insurance as a smoker, the tables below show different coverage options from several top life insurance companies. The more coverage you choose, the more you pay for life insurance.

Getting life insurance as a smoker can be tough. You'll face higher premiums and stricter underwriting. However, many insurers offer good policies for smokers.

Term life insurance is usually the cheapest option and covers you for a set period. Whole life insurance covers you for life and builds cash value, but it costs more.

Some insurers offer policies without medical exams, which can be helpful for smokers who worry about health checks. Compare quotes and read the terms carefully to find the best policy for your needs and budget.

If you don't have life insurance in place, you shouldn't wait to buy a policy, even if you're quitting smoking. If you were to pass away while you're waiting to be considered a nonsmoker, your beneficiary would miss out on the death benefit. Some insurers offer a rate reconsideration, which means they'll allow you to prove your tobacco-free status by completing a medical exam at a later date.

If an insurance company doesn't offer the option of a rate reconsideration, you can apply for a new policy once you're considered a nonsmoker. Once you have the policy in place, you can keep your smoker policy or cancel it if it's no longer needed or worth the cost.

Smokers pay higher premiums, but affordable life insurance options exist. Nationwide offers the best overall value, GEICO specializes in coverage for senior smokers, and State Farm provides no-exam policies. Compare providers and assess your coverage needs to find a policy that protects your family's financial future.

Here are the answers to frequently asked questions about life insurance for smokers to help you find the best policy.

Why Trust MoneyGeek?

We analyzed 1,488 life insurance quotes alongside customer satisfaction, financial stability reports, product offerings and more to determine the best life insurance companies for smokers.

MoneyGeek created a scoring system to compare life insurance companies across five categories and ranked them based on their scores. We chose to review these companies based on their broad national coverage and ability to provide an online quote.

MoneyGeek’s Scoring System

In our unique scoring system, companies can earn up to five points in each of the five categories below. We then use these category scores to calculate an overall MoneyGeek score out of 100. We applied the following weightings to score insurers:

• Affordability: 30%
• Financial stability: 25%
• Buying process: 20%
• Customer satisfaction: 15%
• Product diversity: 10%

MoneyGeek used the following weightings to calculate scores and rank the top term life insurance companies for no-medical-exam policies:

• Product diversity: 35%
• Financial stability: 25%
• Customer satisfaction: 20%
• Buying process: 20%

For whole life insurance policies, we ranked top whole life insurance providers using the following weightings:

• Financial stability: 35%
• Customer satisfaction: 25%
• Buying process: 20%
• Product diversity: 20%

We didn't include affordability in the calculation since we don't have quotes for whole life and no-medical-exam policies. Of the companies that offer these policies, we chose the one with the highest score.

Each company's score incorporates the following:

• Cost data obtained through online quotes
• Financial strength ratings from AM Best and number of years in business
• Customer satisfaction data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) customer complaint index (we reviewed annual complaint data from 2020 to 2022, the most recent year available)
• Availability of tools to aid in the buying process, such as online product materials and multiple payment options
• Diversity of life insurance products offered

Sample Customer Profile

MoneyGeek used a standard profile to get life insurance quotes:

• 40-year-old male
• Smoker
• 5 feet 11 inches tall and 175 pounds
• Excellent health rating

We base premiums on the standard profile unless otherwise noted.

We modified the profile by age, gender, height, weight, tobacco use, health rating and geographic location to collect various quotes and determine the best life insurance company for several types of customers. We also collected quotes for term life insurance with varying term lengths and coverage amounts.

We identified trends in the dataset and used those patterns to calculate projections and extend the data beyond what was originally collected.