Guide
Health classes explained
Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard: what these labels mean and which factors move you from one class to the next.
Term life premiums are set by rate class. Class names vary between insurers but follow a consistent hierarchy: Preferred Plus (sometimes called Super Preferred or Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard, then table ratings for elevated risk. Tobacco users have a separate class ladder at higher premiums.
What underwriters look at
Build (height and weight ratio), blood pressure and cholesterol levels, family history of cardiac events or cancer before age 60, motor vehicle record, medication list, job description and hobbies, and any tobacco or nicotine product use. The highest class requires clear results across nearly every factor; Preferred allows minor variations; Standard Plus and Standard allow managed conditions such as controlled high blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
The health question asks you to describe your condition truthfully: Excellent corresponds to Preferred Plus, Very good to Preferred, Good to Standard Plus and Average to Standard. Quotes display that class; the carrier validates it during underwriting. If you're unsure which applies, quote both classes and weigh the results, then let underwriting make the final determination. Selecting a better class doesn't reduce your final premium; it just makes the estimate less accurate.
Susman Insurance Agency can help identify carriers whose guidelines are more forgiving for a particular health factor, and this often determines your outcome more than the published rates do.