Guide
Health classes explained
Understanding the Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard classifications: what each represents and what can shift your placement.
Term life premiums are determined by rate class. While terminology shifts from one carrier to another, the hierarchy remains consistent: Preferred Plus (sometimes labeled Super Preferred or Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard, with additional table ratings for elevated risk. Tobacco and nicotine users occupy a separate tier of classes with higher premiums.
What underwriters look at
Carriers evaluate build (height and weight), blood pressure and cholesterol readings, family medical history (particularly heart disease or cancer before age 60), your driving record, prescription history, occupation, leisure activities, and tobacco or nicotine consumption. The top class demands strong results across virtually all categories; Preferred is somewhat more flexible; Standard Plus and Standard accommodate stable, managed conditions like treated high blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
The health prompt invites an honest self-assessment: Excellent correlates to Preferred Plus, Very good to Preferred, Good to Standard Plus, and Average to Standard. Quotes are generated for the class you select; the carrier establishes your actual class following underwriting. Uncertain about your classification? Quote both and review the results, then proceed with your application. Choosing a higher class than fits your health won't reduce the final cost—it simply introduces estimation error.
Susman Insurance Agency is equipped to help you identify carriers with more favorable treatment of your particular health situation—something that often carries more weight than the advertised rate.