Guide
Health classes explained
The tiers from best rates to standard: what each label says about risk, and what factors shift you up or down.
Insurers organize premiums into rate classes. The titles shift from carrier to carrier, but the rungs stay the same: Preferred Plus (sometimes Super Preferred or Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard, plus higher tiers for bigger risk. Tobacco users climb a separate ladder with steeper rates.
What underwriters look at
Your height, weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, whether your parents or siblings had heart attacks or cancer before 60, how you drive, what you take for health, what you do for work and fun, and any nicotine use. Top tier wants strong marks across the board; Preferred is a bit more forgiving; Standard Plus and Standard accept managed conditions like blood pressure that's well controlled.
How to use the quote tool
When asked about your health, pick your honest answer: Excellent lands you in Preferred Plus, Very good in Preferred, Good in Standard Plus, and Average in Standard. Your quotes will use that class; the carrier then confirms it during underwriting. Not sure which fits you? Get quotes for two classes, look at the numbers, then let the full application settle it. Picking a rosier class doesn't cut your real premium—it just makes the estimate misleading.
Susman Insurance Agency can point you toward carriers that view a particular health issue more favorably—that edge often beats chasing the absolute lowest price.