Guide
Health classes explained
Understanding Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard: how carriers use these labels and what determines which class your quote falls into.
Insurers use rate class to price term life. While exact names shift from carrier to carrier, the structure is standard: Preferred Plus (sometimes called Super Preferred or Elite), Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard, plus extra charges for higher-risk profiles. Smokers and nicotine users are rated in a separate set of classes, priced accordingly higher.
What underwriters look at
Body composition, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, parents' and grandparents' medical history (heart disease or cancer before age 60), traffic record, medication history, job and recreational activities, and smoking or vaping history. The highest ratings demand strong results across nearly all factors; Preferred allows some variation; Standard Plus and Standard accept controlled medical issues like well-managed high blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
The health question on this site asks for your honest self-assessment: Excellent corresponds to Preferred Plus, Very good to Preferred, Good to Standard Plus and Average to Standard. Your quoted rates follow that assumption; the carrier validates the actual class through underwriting. Uncertain about where you fit? Quote two different classes and compare them, then let underwriting make the final call. Overstating your health won't reduce the final premium—it just makes the quote less reliable.
Susman Insurance Agency assists in finding carriers whose specific underwriting criteria align with your situation, which frequently matters more than the advertised headline rate.