Guide
Health classes explained
Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard: what these labels mean and how carriers move you between them.
Life insurance costs are organized by rate class. Exact names shift between companies, but the ranking is universal: Preferred Plus (sometimes Super Preferred or Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard, then table ratings for higher risks. Tobacco users have a separate rate ladder at higher costs.
What underwriters look at
Build (height and weight relationship), blood pressure and cholesterol numbers, family medical history (especially heart disease or cancer before age 60), driving record, prescription list, work and hobbies, and tobacco or nicotine use. Preferred Plus demands clean results across nearly everything; Preferred allows minor variations; Standard Plus and Standard cover managed conditions like medicated high blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
The health question asks for honesty: Excellent matches Preferred Plus, Very good to Preferred, Good to Standard Plus, and Average to Standard. Your quotes will reflect that class; the carrier confirms the true class after underwriting. Unsure? Quote two classes and compare; the application process determines the final class anyway. An optimistic selection won't lower your ultimate premium; it just makes your estimate less accurate.
Susman Insurance Agency can point you toward carriers whose guidelines are more flexible for a specific condition—and that often matters more than the headline interest rate.