Guide
Health classes explained
Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard—what these mean and what factors move you between them.
Carriers organize term life pricing by rate class. The names vary slightly, but the order is consistent: Preferred Plus (sometimes Super Preferred or Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard, plus higher tables for elevated risk. Tobacco users have their own class ladder at higher rates.
What underwriters look at
Height and weight relative to your build, blood pressure and cholesterol, family history of early-onset heart disease or cancer, driving record, medications you take, your job and hobbies, and any tobacco or nicotine use. The best class needs clean results across almost everything; Preferred allows more flexibility; Standard Plus and Standard approve people with managed conditions like treated high blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
The health question asks you to rate yourself honestly: Excellent lines up with Preferred Plus, Very good with Preferred, Good with Standard Plus and Average with Standard. Quotes reflect your chosen class; the carrier verifies your final class during underwriting. If you're not sure where you fit, quote two classes to compare, then let the application determine the actual one. Picking a better class than you qualify for won't reduce the final premium—it just makes the estimate wrong.
Susman Insurance Agency knows which carriers are most flexible with specific health histories, and that often matters more than the advertised rate.