Guide
Health classes explained
Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard: what these mean and what factors can shift you among them.
Insurers organize term premiums by rate class. Company names vary, but the system is consistent: Preferred Plus (also Super Preferred or Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard, then table ratings for higher-risk applicants. Tobacco users qualify for their own set of categories at higher rates.
What underwriters look at
BMI category (height and weight), blood pressure and lipid panel, family disease history (heart attack or cancer before 60), driving history, medication history, work and recreation, and any tobacco or nicotine. Best classes need clean numbers across pretty much all of them; Preferred allows some variations; Standard Plus and Standard can handle regulated situations like high blood pressure that's being treated.
How to use the quote tool
The health question wants you to be truthful: Excellent maps to Preferred Plus, Very good maps to Preferred, Good maps to Standard Plus and Average maps to Standard. Your quote assumes that class; underwriting determines the final class the carrier gives you. If you're uncertain, quote two classes to compare, then let the application confirm. Claiming a rosy class doesn't reduce what you actually pay; it only makes the estimate less correct.
Susman Insurance Agency can help you find carriers whose guidelines accept your particular situation, which often makes a bigger difference than chasing the lowest quoted rate.