Guide
Health classes explained
The four health categories, their definitions, and factors affecting your placement within them.
Carriers establish term pricing through health classifications. Carrier-specific terminology exists, yet the hierarchy remains uniform: Preferred Plus (Super Preferred or Preferred Elite), Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard, plus surcharges for elevated risk. Tobacco users occupy a separate tiered structure costing substantially more.
What underwriters look at
Underwriting considers body composition, blood pressure, cholesterol, ancestral heart or cancer diagnoses prior to age 60, driving history, medication list, professional field and recreational activities, and tobacco exposure. Premium tiers demand increasingly higher results: top tier requires near-perfect metrics; mid-tier allows modest variations; lower tiers accommodate managed illnesses like regulated hypertension.
How to use the quote tool
The tool requests sincere self-assessment: Excellent equates to Preferred Plus, Very good to Preferred, Good to Standard Plus and Average to Standard. Rates use your selected category; actual classification gets finalized after underwriting. If uncertain, request quotes from two tiers and compare them; the formal application settles your real category. Overstating wellness doesn't reduce your actual rate—it simply makes quotations misleading.
Susman Insurance Agency has deep knowledge of carrier medical guidelines specific to various conditions, frequently resulting in better overall outcomes than simply choosing the lowest posted rate.