Guide
Health classes explained
Rate classes—Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard—and what factors move between them.
Carriers price term life by rate class. Label names shift slightly, but the structure is universal: Preferred Plus (sometimes Super Preferred or Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard, then table ratings for higher-than-standard profiles. Tobacco applicants get a parallel ladder at higher rates.
What underwriters look at
Build and proportions, blood pressure and cholesterol numbers, family history of major disease before age 60, driving record, medication history, line of work and pastimes, and use of tobacco or nicotine. The best class demands clean marks on almost everything; Preferred allows a minor issue; Standard Plus and Standard accept controlled conditions like managed blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
When the health question asks for your description, Excellent maps to Preferred Plus, Very good to Preferred, Good to Standard Plus and Average to Standard. Quotes reflect that assumption; final class comes after underwriting. In doubt? Quote two classes and compare them, then let the application settle it. Padding your health rating does not lower the premium—it just makes the quote less accurate.
Susman Insurance Agency can help identify carriers whose guidelines are most favorable for your specific situation, which often matters more than the base quoted rate.