Guide
Health classes explained
Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus, Standard: what each means, and what moves you from one to the next.
Carriers use rate classes to price term life insurance. Names vary a bit, but the pattern is: Preferred Plus (also Super Preferred or Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus, Standard, and then table ratings for higher risk. Tobacco users have their own set at higher rates.
What underwriters look at
Height and weight, blood pressure and cholesterol, family disease history before age 60, driving record, what you take for medications, your work and hobbies, and any tobacco or nicotine use. Getting into the top class means clean results across almost everything; Preferred gives a little leeway; Standard Plus and Standard can accommodate managed conditions like controlled hypertension.
How to use the quote tool
Your health question on the quote asks for honesty: Excellent lines up with Preferred Plus, Very good with Preferred, Good with Standard Plus, and Average with Standard. The quotes show that class; the underwriter confirms the actual class after review. If you're unsure, quote two classes to compare, and let the application sort out which is true. Picking an optimistic class doesn't change the final premium—it just makes the estimate less accurate.
Susman Insurance Agency can help identify which carriers view a specific medical situation more favorably—and often that matters more than the headline rate.