Guide
Health classes explained
Carriers use four basic rate classes (Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus, Standard) plus table ratings for higher-risk cases, with tobacco users in a separate set of classes. What these classes mean and what moves you between them.
Rate class is how carriers price term insurance. Exact names vary by company, but they all follow the same ladder: Preferred Plus (sometimes Super Preferred or Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard, followed by table ratings for unusually high risk. Tobacco users get a separate set of classes, all at higher rates.
What underwriters look at
Build (height and weight relative to age), blood pressure and cholesterol, heart disease or cancer in your family before age 60, your driving record, medications you take, your work and hobbies, and any tobacco or nicotine use. The highest class requires clean results in nearly all categories. Preferred allows a minor issue or two. Standard Plus and Standard permit managed health conditions like controlled high blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
The health question on the quote tool asks you to honestly describe your health. Excellent maps to Preferred Plus rates, Very good to Preferred, Good to Standard Plus, and Average to Standard. The carrier verifies your actual class after you apply. If you are unsure which describes you, quote both classes to compare, then let underwriting decide. Choosing an optimistic class does not lower your final premium; it only makes the estimate less accurate.
Different carriers have different appetites for different medical conditions. Susman Insurance Agency can help match you with carriers whose guidelines are more favorable for a specific situation—which can matter more than shopping rates alone.