How Does Life Insurance Know You Smoke? 
It is amazing how a life insurance company can find out you smoke . They test urine and blood for cotinine/nicotine , if you take an exam . They usually do a phone interview if you do n't take an exam , so you have to state your smoking status both in writing and verbally . They may order medical records . I once had a client who turned out to be rated a smoker , and when I asked him about it , he said he did n't think there was any way the insurance company would find out because he did n't smoke for a month before the exam and even his doctor did not know he was a smoker . It turned out his wife had told his doctor he smoked ! He may have been able to contest that by taking a new exam , but he , of course , was back to smoking by then . If you smoke , just admit it . If you quit smoking later , you can apply for a rate reduction a year after smoking . 