Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Indiana Top the Nation in Vaping

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Jun 11, 2019, 10:00 ET

SEATTLE, June 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- QuoteWizard®, a 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

Methodology
QuoteWizard analyzed data from the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System of e-cigarette users in all 50 states. We took the crude prevalence of current e-cigarette users in each state and ranked all 50 states from the highest crude prevalence to the lowest crude prevalence. States with the highest crude prevalence are considered to have the highest rate of e-cigarette users and are therefore most likely to be affected by e-cigarettes in terms of their health insurance premiums.

About QuoteWizard QuoteWizard (quotewizard.com) is an insurance comparison marketplace for consumers looking to save on insurance. QuoteWizard provides consumers with direct access to thousands of qualified agents in all 50 states, as well as major carriers, who offer personalized quotes and the opportunity to save up to 40% on auto, home, health, and life insurance. Agents and carriers, in turn, benefit from millions of highly qualified leads, calls, and traffic to their site. Based in Seattle, QuoteWizard was founded in 2006.

About LendingTree LendingTree (NASDAQ: TREE) is the nation's leading online marketplace that connects consumers with the choices they need to be confident in their financial decisions. LendingTree empowers consumers to shop for financial services the same way they would shop for airline tickets or hotel stays, comparing multiple offers from a nationwide network of over 500 partners in one simple search, and can choose the option that best fits their financial needs. Services include mortgage loans, mortgage refinances, auto loans, personal loans, business loans, student refinances, credit cards and more. Through the My LendingTree platform, consumers receive free credit scores, credit monitoring, and recommendations to improve credit health. My LendingTree proactively compares consumers' credit accounts against offers on our network and notifies consumers when there is an opportunity to save money. In short, LendingTree's purpose is to help simplify financial decisions for life's meaningful moments through choice, education and support. LendingTree, LLC is a subsidiary of LendingTree, Inc. For more information, go to www.lendingtree.com, dial 800-555-TREE, like our Facebook page and/or follow us on Twitter @LendingTree.

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SOURCE QuoteWizard