Guide
Health classes explained
Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard—how these terms work and what factors determine your classification.
Insurance carriers organize term life pricing into rate classes. Though terminology shifts among carriers, the structure remains constant: Preferred Plus (sometimes named Super Preferred or Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard, followed by additional ratings for elevated risk profiles. Tobacco users are placed in a parallel classification system with higher premiums.
What underwriters look at
Physical measurements (height and weight), blood pressure and cholesterol values, genetic background for heart disease or cancer before age 60, motor-vehicle history, medication history, job type and recreational activities, and tobacco or nicotine consumption. Achieving the top rate class demands excellent results across nearly all of these areas; Preferred allows some variation; Standard Plus and Standard will cover managed illnesses like controlled high blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
The health questionnaire asks you to honestly rate your health: Excellent corresponds to Preferred Plus, Very good to Preferred, Good to Standard Plus, and Fair to Standard. Quotes will reflect this classification, though the actual classification is finalized during underwriting. If you're uncertain, you can request quotes at two different health levels for comparison; the final approval determines the actual premium.
Susman Insurance Agency can assist in identifying carriers whose underwriting approach is most favorable for your particular health situation, which typically has a bigger impact on rates than the headline quote.