Dave Peeters of Crest Microsystems Inc. wrote in ESNUG post 401: "I have used IEEE term life insurance for the last 20 years. In 1998, they changed underwriters and instituted a 20 percent discount for nonsmokers. Apparently they sent out a notice that this was going to happen and that the default for all current insureds was that they were [assumed to be] smokers. If you were not a smoker, you were supposed to proactively notify them. On the [semi-annual] policy renewals . . . there is no indication that you are classified as a smoker.

"Long story short," Dave continued, "I reviewed my recent renewal, thought the rates were high and went to the Web site to get an online quote. There was a big difference in the price (about 20 percent), so I called and found out that since 1998 I have been charged the smoker's rate! I inquired about a refund for the excess premiums-no deal.

"If any ESNUG subscribers signed up for this insurance prior to 1998, they should check to make sure that their smoking status is correct," Dave said. "The whole deal seems unfair, and I wonder how many others were caught in this 'default' decision. It seems that at a minimum, the renewal notice should indicate this important distinction."

The following week in ESNUG post 402, others confirmed Dave's story.

"I was in the same boat about a year ago, argued with them on two counts," wrote David Guan of PMC-Sierra Inc. "First, I never received the so called notice. Second, the smoking status does not show up in the renewal notice. After sending two faxes (that the company said it never received) and talking to three supervisors, finally I told them that I gave them 15 days to fix it. I threatened to file a complaint to the state insurance department if it was not fixed. I also said that if they fixed it, I'd increase my coverage. They fixed it in two hours!" added Guan. "But it took two more months before the refund was sent back to me."

Mary Harris of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory wrote: "Thanks for passing this along. I just checked my rates and found that I could have saved about $100 per year. Up until a few years ago, that would have covered my annual IEEE membership fee!"

John Cooley runs the E-mail Synopsys Users Group (ESNUG), is a Contract Asic Designer and loves hearing from engineers at jcooley@theworld.com or (508) 429-4357.