Guide
Health classes explained
What Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard classes mean and what factors shift you from one to the next.
Insurance companies organize term pricing by rate class. The exact labels shift between carriers, but the structure is the same: Preferred Plus (sometimes Super Preferred or Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard, plus extra charges for above-standard hazards. Tobacco users face a separate, higher tier.
What underwriters look at
Body composition, blood pressure and lipid levels, family disease before age 60, driving history, medications, job and pastimes, and nicotine or tobacco. Preferred Plus requires near-clean scores across the board. Preferred is more forgiving. Standard Plus and Standard permit managed issues like treated high blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
Describe your health truthfully when asked: Excellent aligns with Preferred Plus, Very good with Preferred, Good with Standard Plus, and Average with Standard. Quotes use that class, but the carrier's underwriting finalizes the tier. Uncertain? Quote both and compare—the real decision happens during application. Overstating health won't cut your final premium; it just skews the estimate.
Susman Insurance Agency can guide you toward carriers with underwriting rules tailored to your circumstances—often a bigger factor than the advertised price.