Guide
Health classes explained
Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard: understanding the categories and what determines which you're offered.
Insurance companies set rates based on rate classifications. While names differ slightly between providers, the hierarchy is standardized: Preferred Plus (sometimes called Super Preferred or Preferred Elite), Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard, then special ratings for higher-risk cases. Tobacco users see their own separate classes at higher prices.
What underwriters look at
Frame (height and weight), blood pressure readings and cholesterol levels, hereditary heart or cancer cases before age 60, how you drive, what you take regularly, your line of work and interests, and use of tobacco or nicotine. The highest category requires almost all results to be excellent; Preferred allows somewhat more; Standard Plus and Standard accommodate managed conditions like treated high blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
The health question asks you to describe your health truthfully: Excellent aligns with Preferred Plus, Very good with Preferred, Good with Standard Plus and Average with Standard. Quotes reflect the category you pick; after underwriting, the carrier confirms the final category. When uncertain, obtain quotes for two categories and compare them, letting the formal evaluation make the call. Choosing a better category doesn't reduce what you'll ultimately pay; it just makes the estimate inaccurate.
Susman Insurance Agency helps you evaluate carriers with more favorable approaches for your particular circumstances, often making a bigger difference than the advertised rate.