Your Term Insurance premium is based on more than the amount of cover you choose. Age, health, medical history, and lifestyle can all form part of the insurer's underwriting assessment. This makes it important to understand what information can affect your premium before you apply.
How does age affect Term Insurance premiums?
Age is closely linked to the premium you pay for term insurance. As you get older, the likelihood of health-related risks generally increases, which can result in a higher premium. This is why buying Term Insurance at a younger age can generally help you access cover at a lower premium.
How does health affect Term Insurance premiums?
Your health gives the insurer an indication of the risk associated with providing life cover. Your medical history, existing health conditions, height, and weight may be considered during underwriting. Depending on your health profile, the insurer may offer the policy at the standard premium, charge an additional premium or apply other terms.
How does your lifestyle affect Term Insurance premiums?
Insurers assess the risk associated with providing life cover before deciding the applicable premium and policy terms. Lifestyle is one part of this assessment. Smoking, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, health conditions, occupation, and high-risk activities may influence the assessment. A lifestyle factor does not automatically mean that a higher premium will apply. The outcome depends on your overall profile and the insurer's underwriting guidelines.
Which lifestyle factors can affect your Term Insurance premium?
Smoking and tobacco use
Tobacco use may affect underwriting because it is associated with several health risks. Smokers may therefore be quoted differently from non-smokers with otherwise similar profiles. Disclose your tobacco use accurately, including the type and frequency.
Alcohol consumption
Insurers may consider the nature and extent of alcohol consumption along with your medical history and other risk factors. The impact depends on your individual profile rather than simply whether you consume alcohol.
Weight and health
Height, weight, and overall health can form part of the assessment. Health conditions associated with weight may also be relevant.
Existing health conditions
Medical conditions, previous treatment, and medical history may affect the terms offered. The insurer may request additional information or medical tests before completing underwriting.
High-risk hobbies
Activities such as skydiving, scuba diving, mountaineering, and certain motor sports may require additional details because of the risks involved. The frequency and nature of the activity can form part of the assessment.
Occupation
Jobs involving physical hazards, working at heights, heavy machinery, or other high-risk environments may require additional underwriting information. The impact depends on the nature and level of exposure.
Does a healthier lifestyle always mean a lower Term Insurance premium?
Not necessarily. A healthy lifestyle may be a positive factor in risk assessment, but your premium also depends on age, sum assured, policy term, medical history, occupation, and other underwriting information. There is no single lifestyle change that guarantees a lower premium.
The practical approach is to maintain healthy habits, provide accurate information, and choose cover based on your financial responsibilities rather than selecting a lower cover only to reduce the premium.
Does changing your lifestyle after buying Term Insurance affect your premium?
Usually, a lifestyle change after your policy is issued does not automatically change the premium you have agreed to pay. For example, if you stop smoking, lose weight, or adopt healthier habits, your existing premium generally continues as per the policy terms. Similarly, taking up a new high-risk activity or changing your occupation does not automatically mean your premium will be revised, but you should check your policy terms and disclose any information the insurer requires.
The key point is that your lifestyle is primarily assessed when you apply for the policy, when factors such as smoking, health, occupation, and other risk-related details can influence underwriting and the premium offered. If you are applying for a new policy or making a change to an existing policy that requires fresh underwriting, your current lifestyle and risk profile may be considered again.
How can you keep your Term Insurance application straightforward?
- Disclose smoking, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, risky hobbies, and other relevant lifestyle information accurately.
- Share your medical history and previous treatment when asked.
- Complete medical tests if required for underwriting.
- Choose the sum assured based on your family's financial needs, not just the premium you want to pay.
- Review your cover when your income, dependents, or liabilities change.
- Use a Term Insurance premium calculator to understand how cover and policy duration can affect the premium.
How can ABSLI fit different lifestyle and coverage needs?
Lifestyle is increasingly becoming an important part of how people think about their health and protection needs. The ABSLI अ-Nishchit Index looks at changing attitudes and behaviours around health, wellbeing, and lifestyle, highlighting how these factors are becoming part of everyday financial and protection conversations. Read more about the ABSLI अ-Nishchit Index.
If you want to understand how lifestyle and other personal details can affect your premium, the ABSLI Term Insurance calculator lets you change inputs such as smoking habits, occupation, policy term, cover amount and rider selection to see how the estimated premium changes.
If you are looking for a Term Plan with health management services, you can explore ABSLI Super Term Plan. For women, the ABSLI Her Care Term Plan is designed around women's protection needs and includes features such as Health Management Services and an option to add a Critical Illness Rider covering specified female-specific cancers.
You can also compare ABSLI Term Plans to review the available options and identify a plan based on your desired cover, policy term and other requirements.
September 15, 2026
5 mins read
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