Guide
Health classes explained
Rate classes explained: Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard, their distinctions, and what factors determine your rating.
Insurers assign term life to rating brackets. The names differ slightly across companies, but the hierarchy follows a pattern: Preferred Plus (sometimes Super Preferred or Elite), Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard, then table ratings for higher-risk profiles. Tobacco users get parallel tiers at higher premiums.
What underwriters look at
Build (height-to-weight ratio), blood pressure and cholesterol numbers, family disease background (heart disease or cancer prior to age sixty), driving record, prescription history, your job and hobbies, and nicotine/tobacco use. The best rating needs strong results across most categories; Preferred allows some variation; Standard Plus and Standard accommodate managed conditions like controlled high blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
The health form asks you to self-assess: Excellent aligns with Preferred Plus, Very good with Preferred, Good with Standard Plus and Average with Standard. Your quote mirrors this choice; the carrier sets the final class following underwriting. If unsure, quote both classes to weigh them, and let the application outcome determine your actual rate. Overstating health doesn't lower your final premium; it only makes the estimate less reliable.
Susman Insurance Agency can help identify insurers whose underwriting practices are more favorable toward your specific health circumstances, which often matters more than the starting rate.