Guide
Health classes explained
Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard—what these names mean and how carriers decide which one applies to you.
Carriers organize term premiums into rate classes. Company names vary slightly, but most use: Preferred Plus (sometimes Super Preferred), Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard, plus separate table ratings for elevated risk. Tobacco use gets its own parallel set of classes, all more expensive.
What underwriters look at
Your build, blood pressure and cholesterol, whether heart disease or cancer shows up in your family before age 60, your driving record, medications you take, what you do for work and hobbies, and any tobacco or nicotine use. The highest class demands clean results on nearly everything; Preferred loosens that a little; Standard Plus and Standard permit managed conditions like blood pressure that's controlled by medicine.
How to use the quote tool
When asked, describe your health truthfully: Excellent corresponds to Preferred Plus, Very good to Preferred, Good to Standard Plus, and Average to Standard. Your quotes are calculated in that class; the carrier then verifies during underwriting and might confirm or change it. Uncertain? Quote yourself in two classes and compare, then let the underwriting determine the actual class. Inflating your health does not reduce the final premium; it only makes the initial estimate wrong.
If you have a specific condition, Susman Insurance Agency can show you which carriers are more comfortable with it and offer better rates for people in your situation—that often beats comparing headline numbers.