Guide
Health classes explained
Rate classes—Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus, Standard, and others—explain how carriers label and price health tiers and what each classification means for your premium.
Term life premiums align with rate class. While terminology shifts between insurers, the progression holds steady across the industry: Preferred Plus (sometimes labeled Super Preferred or Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard, with additional surcharge tiers for atypical risk. Those using tobacco products fall into an equivalent track with steeper pricing.
What underwriters look at
Physical metrics—height-to-weight ratio, blood pressure numbers, cholesterol readings, and hereditary disease patterns—all determine your assigned classification.
How to use the quote tool
The health section requires truthful self-assessment: Excellent aligns with Preferred Plus tier, Very good with Preferred, Good with Standard Plus and Average with Standard grade. Your quotes are built on this rating, though the carrier will finalize your actual grade during underwriting. When in doubt, run estimates at two different tiers to compare them side-by-side, and trust the insurer to make the ultimate call. Inflating your health status won't reduce your real rate—it just produces misleading numbers.
Susman Insurance Agency matches you with insurers whose requirements accommodate your health status and will provide competitive pricing.