Guide
Health classes explained
Four tiers—Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard—and how carriers assign you to each.
Term premiums depend on your rate class. Names shift across carriers, but the scale stays fixed: Preferred Plus (Super Preferred, Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard, plus table ratings for atypical risk. Tobacco users occupy a separate tier at elevated rates.
What underwriters look at
Frame, vitals (BP and cholesterol), family cardiac or cancer history before 60, driving and Rx records, work and pastimes, and nicotine use. Preferred Plus requires clean marks on nearly everything; Preferred relaxes slightly; Standard Plus and Standard accommodate managed conditions like controlled blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
The health question seeks honest self-description: Excellent suggests Preferred Plus, Very good points to Preferred, Good toward Standard Plus and Average implies Standard. Quotes assume your selected class; the carrier locks the final tier after review. Unsure? Quote two classes to compare, then allow the application to confirm. Inflating your health does not cut the final bill; it only skews estimates.
Susman Insurance Agency helps match you with carriers whose rules favor your particular health picture, often more important than the posted rate.