Guide
Health classes explained
An overview of what Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard rating tiers represent and what determines your placement.
Term life pricing is organized around rate class. Carrier terminology shifts slightly, but the ranking is standard: Preferred Plus (occasionally called Super Preferred or Preferred Elite), Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard, then table ratings for higher risk. Tobacco applicants have a parallel scale at elevated prices.
What underwriters look at
Physical measurements (height and weight), blood pressure and lipid panel, family history of early heart disease or cancer, traffic record, medication history, job and pastimes, and tobacco or nicotine products. Top rating requires clean results across nearly everything; Preferred allows a modest issue or two; Standard Plus and Standard permit managed health problems like controlled high blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
When asked to describe your health, be truthful: Excellent aligns with Preferred Plus, Very good with Preferred, Good with Standard Plus, and Average with Standard. Quotes match that rating; the carrier confirms after underwriting. If uncertain, quote both and look at both, then let the company decide. Picking a high rating does not reduce your final rate; it just makes the estimate less useful.
Susman Insurance Agency knows which carriers have less restrictive standards for various health situations, and that often matters more than the advertised rate.