Guide
Health classes explained
Rate tiers: Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard—definitions and factors affecting placement.
Term insurance is priced using health tiers. Terminology differs slightly by carrier, but the scale stays uniform: Preferred Plus (sometimes Super Preferred or Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard, plus surcharge tables for above-standard risk. Nicotine users occupy a matching scale at elevated costs.
What underwriters look at
Physical build, blood pressure and lipid levels, hereditary heart or cancer risk before age 60, driving history, medication use, employment, pastimes, and nicotine status. Top tiers need favorable results across most; Preferred permits minor variations; Standard Plus and Standard accept managed conditions like medicated blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
Rate your health truthfully: Excellent corresponds to Preferred Plus, Very good to Preferred, Good to Standard Plus and Average to Standard. Quotes assume your selected tier; the underwriting process confirms the final classification. Unsure? Quote multiple tiers for comparison, then apply. Overstating health doesn't reduce the actual premium—just skews the estimate.
Susman Insurance Agency assists comparing carriers with more flexible rules for particular health situations—often more significant than published rates.