Guide
Health classes explained
Four tiers—Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus, Standard—and what shifts you up or down.
Insurers put term life premiums in rate classes. Company names shift a bit, but the structure holds: Preferred Plus (sometimes Super Preferred or Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus, Standard, then surcharges for extra risk. Smokers tick into a parallel ladder with steeper prices.
What underwriters look at
Body measurements, blood pressure and lipids, family disease history before age 60, driving record, medications, job and pastimes, and any tobacco or nicotine. The top tier demands near-flawless marks; Preferred opens up a notch; Standard Plus and Standard accept controlled conditions like managed high blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
The health field wants you to be truthful: Excellent heads to Preferred Plus, Very good to Preferred, Good to Standard Plus, Average to Standard. Quotes use that tier; the carrier locks in the real one during underwriting. Torn between two tiers? Quote both and weigh them, then let underwriting settle it. Picking a rosy tier won't shrink your premium; it just fouls your estimate.
Susman Insurance Agency can steer you toward carriers with lenient underwriting for your situation, which can matter more than the advertised price.