Guide
Health classes explained
Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard: what these categories indicate, and how you move from one to another.
Insurance carriers utilize a rating system to sort applicants. Naming conventions shift slightly from company to company, but the structure stays the same: Preferred Plus (also called Super Preferred or Elite Preferred), Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard, with possible table ratings assigned for greater-than-standard risk. Tobacco consumers face a separate set of rates at markedly higher costs.
What underwriters look at
Height and weight ratio, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, relatives who had early heart or cancer diagnoses, your driving background, list of medications you take, what you do for work and recreation, and your use of tobacco or nicotine products. The top class requires favorable findings across nearly everything; Preferred permits some variation; Standard Plus and Standard tolerate controlled medical conditions like managed high blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
The form asks you to categorize your health sincerely: Excellent aligns with Preferred Plus, Very good with Preferred, Good with Standard Plus and Average with Standard. Quotes reflect that category; underwriting confirms the final tier. Unsure? Price both levels and see the spread, then let the underwriter decide. An inflated self-assessment won't reduce your rate—just makes the estimate off.
Susman Insurance Agency is available to help identify carriers that have more favorable underwriting for specific health situations—often a more important factor than the base rate listed.