Guide
Health classes explained
Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus, Standard: what they signify and how you shift among them.
Carriers organize term pricing using rate classes. Names shift slightly across companies, but the structure stays the same: Preferred Plus (sometimes called Super Preferred or Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard, with table ratings above Standard. Tobacco users occupy a separate rate grid at higher costs.
What underwriters look at
Height and weight relative to each other, blood pressure and cholesterol numbers, whether heart disease or cancer runs in the family before age 60, your driving record, medications you take, your work and hobbies, and any tobacco or nicotine use. The highest class demands good results on nearly every factor; Preferred is more forgiving; Standard Plus and Standard accept well-controlled conditions like medicated high blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
When the health question asks how you're doing, answer truthfully: Excellent aligns with Preferred Plus, Very good with Preferred, Good with Standard Plus and Average with Standard. Quotes are based on that class; the carrier's underwriting determines the actual final class. Unsure? Run quotes for two different classes to see the difference, then let the underwriting process settle it. Picking an inflated class doesn't cut your final rate—it just makes today's estimate wrong.
Susman Insurance Agency helps you find carriers with favorable underwriting for your specific situation—sometimes that matters more than the lowest quoted rate.