Guide
Health classes explained
Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard: what these classes mean for your premium and what factors put you in each one.
Carriers set term life prices using rate class. The words differ a bit from carrier to carrier, but the order stays the same: Preferred Plus (sometimes Super Preferred or Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard, then further adjustments for higher-than-standard risk. Tobacco users get a separate set of classes with higher rates.
What underwriters look at
Body size (height and weight), blood pressure and cholesterol levels, any heart or cancer in the family before age 60, what your driving record shows, what medicines you take and why, your job and pastimes, and tobacco or nicotine use. The best class requires strong numbers everywhere; Preferred permits a few small things; Standard Plus and Standard allow health situations that are being managed, like high blood pressure on medication.
How to use the quote tool
The health question on this site asks for an honest description of yourself: Excellent lines up with Preferred Plus, Very good with Preferred, Good with Standard Plus and Average with Standard. Your quotes will be based on that class; the carrier will determine your final class during underwriting. If you're not sure which one fits, you can ask for quotes at two levels and see the difference, then let the application sort it out. Saying you're healthier than you are won't lower your final price; it just makes the estimate wrong.
Susman Insurance Agency can help you identify carriers whose underwriting is simpler for your specific situation, which can be even more valuable than the advertised rate.