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 |
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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 |