Guide
Health classes explained
A breakdown of rate classes: Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus, Standard, and what determines where you land.
Term life pricing rests on rate classes. Labels shift between carriers, but the structure stays the same: Preferred Plus (sometimes Super Preferred or Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus, Standard, then table ratings for elevated risk. Anyone using tobacco steps into a separate class structure with higher premiums.
What underwriters look at
Carriers look at: body measurements and weight, blood pressure and cholesterol numbers, whether close relatives had early heart or cancer issues, your driving record, what medications you take, your work and pastimes, and any nicotine or tobacco use. The highest classes demand excellent results across nearly everything; Preferred loosens some criteria; Standard Plus and Standard let you have managed conditions like medicated high blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
Your health answer translates into a class: Excellent aligns with Preferred Plus, Very good with Preferred, Good with Standard Plus, and Average with Standard. Quotes match your chosen class; underwriting sets the actual one afterward. Torn between classes? Quote both and see the difference, then submit your honest answer with your application. An inflated health rating won't reduce your eventual premium; it just skews the current estimate upward.
Susman Insurance Agency can match you with carriers whose underwriting criteria are more lenient toward a particular condition—often more valuable than chasing the lowest quoted rate.