Guide
Health classes explained
An overview of rate tiers—Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard—what they represent, and how applicants move among them.
Carriers establish pricing for term insurance according to underwriting tier. The precise naming varies between carriers, but the progression is the same: Preferred Plus (sometimes called Super Preferred or Preferred Elite), Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard, then extra charges for higher risk. Tobacco users occupy a different tier structure with steeper pricing.
What underwriters look at
Height-to-weight ratio, blood pressure and lipid levels, family background of cardiovascular disease or cancer prior to age 60, driving violations, medication history, job and recreational activities, and nicotine or tobacco consumption. Achieving the top tier demands good markers across almost everything; Preferred tier permits some variance; Standard Plus and Standard classifications accommodate managed medical conditions such as regulated blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
You'll be asked to rate your overall health frankly: Excellent corresponds to Preferred Plus, Very good to Preferred, Good to Standard Plus, and Average to Standard. Quotations are built on this classification; the carrier validates the actual tier through their underwriting. When in doubt, run quotes for two tiers and examine both outcomes—let the application process confirm where you truly land. Inflating your health rating won't reduce the final price; it merely makes the quote unreliable.
Susman Insurance Agency has relationships with many carriers and knows which ones are most flexible with specific health situations—sometimes this makes more difference than the advertised rate.