Guide
Health classes explained
Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard: what these tiers mean and what factors shift you between them.
Carriers sort term life prices by rate class. The names shift slightly between companies, but the hierarchy stays consistent: Preferred Plus (sometimes Super Preferred or Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard, then table ratings for higher risk. Tobacco users have a parallel scale at higher costs.
What underwriters look at
Your height and weight, blood pressure and cholesterol, whether cancer or heart disease runs in your family before age 60, your driving record, prescriptions you take, your job and hobbies, and tobacco or nicotine use. The top classes need clean results across nearly everything; Preferred allows a little slack; Standard Plus and Standard allow controlled conditions like treated high blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
The health question asks you to be accurate: Excellent maps to Preferred Plus, Very Good to Preferred, Good to Standard Plus, and Average to Standard. Your quote reflects that assumption; the carrier verifies it after you apply. If you're uncertain where you fit, quote both classes and compare, then let underwriting make the final call. Picking a better class than you qualify for won't lower your actual cost—it just makes the quote less reliable.
Susman Insurance Agency can help you find carriers whose underwriting is more flexible for your specific situation. The right carrier for your health can often matter more than just looking at the headline rate.