Guide
Health classes explained
Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard: what these tiers mean and what can move you from one to another.
Carriers price term life by rate tier. Names differ slightly between companies, but the levels stay the same: Preferred Plus (sometimes called Super Preferred or Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard, with table ratings for higher risk above that. Tobacco users see a different set of tiers at higher costs.
What underwriters look at
Build (height and weight), blood pressure and cholesterol, family members with heart disease or cancer before age 60, driving record, prescription history, what you do for work and hobbies, and tobacco or nicotine use. Top tier needs clean results across nearly everything; Preferred allows a bit of flex; Standard Plus and Standard allow controlled issues like managed blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
The health question asks what you honestly think: Excellent maps to Preferred Plus, Very good to Preferred, Good to Standard Plus and Average to Standard. Quotes match that tier; the company confirms the final tier after underwriting. If you're unsure, quote in two tiers and compare, then let the application figure it out. Picking a better tier doesn't lower your final cost; it just makes the estimate less accurate.
Susman Insurance Agency can help you find carriers whose standards are more flexible for a particular health situation, which often makes more difference than the advertised rate.