If the Lemoine Law has abolished the health questionnaire for a certain number of loans, this does not mean that the insurer can no longer ask you for any information.
Coming into force in 2022, the Lemoine Law has changed the creditor insurance market for individuals. In effect, for loans of less than 200,000 euros per insured whose repayment occurs before their 60th birthday, plus question of health questionnaire. A godsend especially for people who previously paid a premium due to a medical problem.
When the end of the health questionnaire was announced, one category of borrowers was undoubtedly delighted: smokers. Because declaring that you smoke when taking out borrower insurance is necessarily synonymous with a premium.
Always a surcharge for smokers
let’s get rid of false hopes right away: the Lemoine law does not change anything for smokers. Because even without a health questionnaire, impossible to escape this statement. The fact of smoking or not is considered a habit of life, and the question is often asked when establishing an estimate, recalls Christophe Boich, director of insurance at Meilleurtaux. Then, when completing the health questionnaire, it is the number of daily cigarettes that you smoke which may be requested and which makes it possible to assess the impact on the health of the insured.
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Since insurers can therefore always distinguish between smokers and non-smokers, the rates for contracts without a health questionnaire did not change significantly, the smoker’s premium remaining stable.
While the additional premium for tobacco was on average 65.03% among alternative insurers (in competition with bank insurers) for a 45-year-old executive on a loan of 200,000 euros over 15 years, the additional premium for the same profile is today today of 66.99%.
This additional premium has even decreased for the youngest profiles in certain alternatives. After the introduction of the Lemoine law, the smoking premium for a 35-year-old executive rose to 63.82%, compared to 69.21% previously. Thus, a smoking profile, especially a young one, will now be offered more competitive rates from an alternative insurer than from a bank.
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Sport, an excluding practice?
Far from constituting a new even to make you obtain a preferential tariff, the practice of the sport can cost you money. We are talking about risky sports, also called extreme sports. Paragliding, mountaineering or scuba diving fall into this category, which can however be covered if it is declared. Most exclusions can be redeemed, confirms Christophe Boich. This means that the customer can pay to be covered on this activity. But today the question of sport is more excluding than virtuous. The goal is to identify a risk and apply a mark-up so that the customer is covered.
Little has changed in the information requested, concludes Christophe Boich. Profession and habits such as smoking or the practice of extreme sports are always required to ensure the best price. Maybe tomorrow, the customer will be asked if he is registered in a gym or if he has a virtuous behavior that would allow him to have a preferential rate.
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