Guide
Health classes explained
How carriers assign rate tiers: the labels (Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus, Standard) and the factors that determine which one applies to you.
Carriers organize term pricing by underwriting tier. Company labels differ slightly, but the scale is consistent: Preferred Plus (sometimes called Super Preferred or Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard, then table ratings for above-standard risk. Those who use tobacco occupy a parallel set of tiers at elevated rates.
What underwriters look at
Height-to-weight ratio, blood pressure and cholesterol values, whether parents or siblings had heart disease or cancer before age 60, your driving history, medicines you're taking, your profession and pastimes, and any tobacco or nicotine use. The best classifications demand clean results almost across the board; Preferred allows some variations; Standard Plus and Standard tolerate managed chronic conditions like controlled blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
The health section asks you to be truthful about how you'd characterize yourself: Excellent corresponds to Preferred Plus, Very good to Preferred, Good to Standard Plus and Average to Standard. Your quotes will be built on that tier; after underwriting, the actual tier is confirmed. If you're hesitant, run quotes for two different categories to compare, and allow the application phase to settle the ranking. Using a higher tier than truthful won't lower your final bill; it only makes the estimate wrong.
Susman Insurance Agency can match you with carriers that have more favorable requirements for a particular condition you have—this frequently matters more than looking at the lowest headline rate.