Guide
Health classes explained
Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard: what each rating means and what changes your place on the ladder.
Carriers set term rates by rating class. Names shift slightly between companies, but the structure stays the same: Preferred Plus (sometimes Super Preferred or Best Preferred), Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard, plus table ratings for above-standard risk. Tobacco users get a separate tier structure at higher costs.
What underwriters look at
Build (height and weight), blood pressure and cholesterol, cancer or heart disease in the family before age 60, driving history, prescription medications, job and hobbies, and tobacco or nicotine use. Preferred Plus requires good results almost across the board; Preferred accepts one small issue; Standard Plus and Standard allow managed conditions like controlled blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
The health question requests your honest self-assessment: Excellent goes to Preferred Plus, Very good to Preferred, Good to Standard Plus and Average to Standard. Quotes use that class; the company confirms the actual class after review. Unsure? Quote two classes, compare, then apply and let underwriting decide. Picking a higher class does not reduce final premiums—it just makes estimates wrong.
Susman Insurance Agency finds carriers whose underwriting is more favorable for your specific situation, which typically outweighs the headline rate.