Guide
Health classes explained
Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard: what each rating means and how you fit into them.
Carriers use rate classes to price term life. Names differ slightly between companies, but the order is the same: Preferred Plus (also Super Preferred or Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard, then table ratings for above-standard risk. Tobacco users get a separate ladder at higher costs.
What underwriters look at
Height and weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, family heart disease or cancer before 60, driving history, prescriptions, job and hobbies, and tobacco or nicotine use. The best class needs clean marks nearly across the board; Preferred lets a bit more slip; Standard Plus and Standard accept controlled conditions like treated high blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
The health question asks for your honest self-assessment: Excellent lines up with Preferred Plus, Very good with Preferred, Good with Standard Plus, Average with Standard. Quotes assume that class; the carrier sets the final class after underwriting. Unsure? Get quotes for two classes and see the difference, then let the application sort it out. An overly optimistic pick won't reduce what you actually pay; it just makes the estimate wrong.
Susman Insurance Agency helps match you with carriers whose underwriting rules fit your situation—often more important than the advertised rate.