Guide
Health classes explained
What Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard mean, and what shifts you up or down the list.
Carriers assign underwriting tiers to price term life. Names differ slightly, but the order stays the same: Preferred Plus (sometimes Super Preferred or Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard, then higher surcharges for risky cases. Tobacco users have a parallel set at bigger premiums.
What underwriters look at
Height and weight, blood pressure and cholesterol numbers, family illness before age 60, driving history, what drugs you take, what you do for work and fun, and smoking or vaping. Best ratings need clean marks across nearly everything; Preferred is a bit forgiving; Standard Plus and Standard accept controlled illnesses like managed blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
Be honest when rating your health: Excellent aligns with Preferred Plus, Very good with Preferred, Good with Standard Plus, Average with Standard. That tier shapes your quote; underwriting afterward may confirm, raise, or lower it. Unsure? Get quotes at two tiers and compare—the application will show the real result. Inflating your health doesn't reduce final prices; it just makes estimates wrong.
Different carriers judge health differently. Susman Insurance Agency finds carriers whose rules match your situation, which usually matters more than advertised rates.