Guide
Health classes explained
The four main grades: Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard. How they differ and what determines your placement.
Insurers organize pricing into rate classes. While names shift between carriers, the structure stays similar: Preferred Plus (sometimes Super Preferred or Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus, Standard, then stepped penalties for unusual situations. Smokers occupy their own tier at higher cost.
What underwriters look at
Body composition, blood pressure numbers, lipid levels, whether relatives died young from cardiac or cancer causes, your driving file, medications you take, what you do for work and play, and all nicotine consumption. Preferred Plus demands spotless findings in almost every box; Preferred is flexible; Standard Plus and Standard allow stable managed illnesses like controlled high blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
The health question wants you to be truthful: Excellent aligns with Preferred Plus, Very good with Preferred, Good with Standard Plus, Average with Standard. Results show that class's price, but the carrier revalidates afterward. Unsure of your grade? Try both and compare—let underwriting finalize it. Overstating your health does not reduce your actual premium; it just makes the quote wrong.
Susman Insurance Agency can guide you to carriers with more flexible standards for your particular situation—a factor that often outweighs the advertised premium.