Guide
Health classes explained
Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus, Standard—and what determines which tier you fall into.
Carriers sort term life pricing by underwriting class. The names shift between companies, but the ranking stays consistent: Preferred Plus (called Super Preferred or Preferred Best by some), Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard, followed by rated tiers for people with higher risk. Tobacco users have a parallel set of tiers at steeper rates.
What underwriters look at
Build (weight and height ratio), blood pressure and cholesterol, family cancer or heart disease before age 60, traffic record, what medicines you take, work activities and hobbies, and any nicotine or tobacco consumption. The top tier requires clean results across almost everything; Preferred tolerates some variation; Standard Plus and Standard allow managed conditions like controlled high blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
The health question invites an honest self-assessment: Excellent aligns with Preferred Plus, Very good with Preferred, Good with Standard Plus and Average with Standard. Your quotes reflect that tier; the carrier validates the final tier after underwriting. If you're uncertain, pull quotes at two tiers to compare, then let the application process determine the actual class. Exaggerating your health doesn't reduce the final premium; it only makes the estimate inaccurate.
Susman Insurance Agency can help you locate carriers whose approval guidelines are more lenient toward your health history, which often matters more than the base rate.