LendingTree company, and one of the nation’s leading online insurance marketplaces, today released a report compiled from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data to see where e-cigarette usage is most prevalent.
America’s youth could force the hand of insurance companies to create a clear designation on e-cigarette use. In 2018, 3.6 million middle school and high school students reported e-cigarette use. As the e-cigarette using youth come of age and join individual health insurance markets, it could certainly pressure insurers into a formal designation. A designation as tobacco use would see significant increases in insurance premiums.
Key Findings:
- Top states for vaping: Oklahoma (1), Kentucky (2), Indiana (3), Tennessee (4)
- Bottom states for vaping: California (50), Vermont (49), and Connecticut (48)
- Health Insurance Impact of E-Cigarettes: While the FDA does classify the e-cigarette as a tobacco product yet, it still tends to be a gray area for most insurance companies.
- The Tobacco Use Surcharge is a rule under the ACA that allows insurers to increase premiums up to a maximum of 50 percent for enrollees who signal they use tobacco.
To view the full report, visit https://quotewizard.com/news/posts/states-with-most-vapers.
QuoteWizard analysts ranked all 50 states to see where health insurance rates could be most affected by e-cigarettes.
States Ranked by Highest E-Cigarette Usage Ranking of 1 to 50, with 1 being highest e-cigarette usage and 50 being lowest usage | ||
Rank | State | Crude Prevalence (%) |
1 | Oklahoma | 7.1 |
2 | Kentucky | 6.1 |
3 | Indiana | 6 |
4 | Tennessee | 5.9 |
5 | Wyoming | 5.8 |
6 | Arkansas | 5.7 |
7 | West Virginia | 5.7 |
8 | Nevada | 5.4 |
9 | Arizona | 5.3 |
10 | Colorado | 5.3 |
11 | Ohio | 5.3 |
12 | Missouri | 5.2 |
13 | Utah | 5.1 |
14 | Alabama | 4.9 |
15 | Michigan | 4.9 |
16 | Mississippi | 4.9 |
17 | New Mexico | 4.9 |
18 | Rhode Island | 4.9 |
19 | Virginia | 4.9 |
20 | Delaware | 4.8 |
21 | Hawaii | 4.7 |
22 | Pennsylvania | 4.7 |
23 | Texas | 4.7 |
24 | Idaho | 4.6 |
25 | Kansas | 4.6 |
26 | New Hampshire | 4.6 |
27 | North Carolina | 4.6 |
28 | Louisiana | 4.5 |
29 | Georgia | 4.4 |
30 | Illinois | 4.4 |
31 | New Jersey | 4.4 |
32 | Oregon | 4.4 |
33 | Florida | 4.3 |
34 | North Dakota | 4.3 |
35 | Washington | 4.3 |
36 | Wisconsin | 4.3 |
37 | Maine | 4.1 |
38 | South Carolina | 4.1 |
39 | Iowa | 4 |
40 | Montana | 3.9 |
41 | South Dakota | 3.9 |
42 | Nebraska | 3.8 |
43 | New York | 3.8 |
44 | Minnesota | 3.7 |
45 | Alaska | 3.5 |
46 | Maryland | 3.3 |
47 | Massachusetts | 3.3 |
48 | Connecticut | 3.2 |
49 | Vermont | 3.1 |
50 | California | 3 |
