Guide
Health classes explained
Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard: what the grades mean and how carriers move applicants between them.
Carriers set term insurance prices using underwriting grades. The exact terminology shifts by company, but the structure stays consistent: Preferred Plus (sometimes called Super Preferred or Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard, then table ratings for higher risk. Individuals who use nicotine follow a separate scale at elevated rates.
What underwriters look at
Weight and height, blood pressure and lipid levels, family disease history (especially heart disease or cancer before age 60), driving history, prescription history, job classification and recreational pursuits, and nicotine use. Top-tier approval requires solid results across nearly everything; the next tier permits some variation; the lower tiers accept controlled conditions including managed high blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
The health field asks for an honest self-assessment: Excellent corresponds to Preferred Plus, Very good to Preferred, Good to Standard Plus, and Average to Standard. Your quote reflects this category; the carrier finalizes it after underwriting. If you're borderline, quote at two levels to compare, then let the underwriting decide. Picking an inflated health rating doesn't lower your final cost—it only makes the estimate less accurate.
Susman Insurance Agency can help identify carriers with more favorable underwriting guidelines for your particular health background, which frequently matters more than published rates.