Guide
Health classes explained
Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard—their definitions and the factors that influence your placement.
Insurers organize term life premiums using rate classes. While companies use different labels, the structure repeats: Preferred Plus (sometimes called Super Preferred or Best), Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard, then higher-risk categories for greater-than-standard situations. Smokers and nicotine users fall into a separate tier of higher costs.
What underwriters look at
Height and weight proportions, hypertension and lipid levels, family history with heart attack or cancer before turning 60, safety record, medicine list, work and recreation, and tobacco or nicotine consumption. The top tier demands good scores in virtually everything; Preferred allows some latitude; Standard Plus and Standard accept well-controlled conditions including managed high blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
You assess yourself on health: Excellent correlates with Preferred Plus, Very good with Preferred, Good with Standard Plus and Average with Standard. Quotes reflect your selected tier; underwriting verifies the final tier later. Unsure? Try both and look at the numbers, then let the application determine your actual classification. Guessing high on health will not reduce your ultimate premium—it only makes the quote less accurate.
Different carriers favor different risk profiles. Susman Insurance Agency helps identify carriers whose underwriting approach fits your specific circumstances—which can outweigh headline pricing by a wide margin.