What should I do about health insurance?

I am wondering if I should tell a doctor once I do get insurance that I have smoked for 20 years. I have heard that they can deny any health problems that are from past issues. Is this correct? How should I handle this?
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You have a couple of issues jumbled up into one question...I'll try to sort them out and tackle individually: 1) When applying for insurance, you do need to indicate that you're a smoker. If by some chance you were caught lying on the application, that could be considered fraud and your entire policy would be cancelled. You could even end up owing for all the past medical bills that the insurer paid. 2) You should always be honest with your doctor about medical conditions and health risks, so that your doctor can accurately assist you when you need medical care. Don't lie to your doctor...ever. :) 3) About pre-existing conditions...yes, there are certain circumstances where claims for a pre-existing condition can be denied. But your friends are mistaken in how that occurs: - First of all, there is a limit to how long a condition can be considered "pre-existing" on a new insurance policy. For example, if you have high blood pressure and are subject to a pre-existing clause on your policy, that doesn't mean that you would never have coverage for anything relating to high blood pressure. It means that for that "waiting period" (usually 6 months to a year) you wouldn't have coverage for things relating to the high blood pressure, but you'd be covered for everything else. - Second, "smoking" in and of itself isn't considered a "pre-existing condition." (Yes, it will likely cause you to pay a higher premium, but its not a pre-existing condition...its a lifestyle issue.) If you're a smoker who happens to not have any medical complications from it so far, then there would never be a problem with your medical claims due to smoking. (Now, if you're a smoker and it has caused you to develop severe asthma or some other disease...then that disease can be considered pre-existing. But not the smoking in and of itself.)
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