Guide
Health classes explained
Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus, Standard: what each means and how you move between them.
Carriers use rate classes to set term prices. Names shift, but the order is same: Preferred Plus (Super Preferred or Best by some), Preferred, Standard Plus, Standard, plus table ratings for higher risk. Smokers get a separate tier at higher costs.
What underwriters look at
Build (weight and height), blood pressure and lipids, early family illness (heart or cancer before 60), traffic record, drug history, work and pastimes, tobacco. Top tier needs clean across nearly all; Preferred allows minor; Standard Plus and Standard cover managed conditions like blood pressure medicine.
How to use the quote tool
Rate yourself truthfully: Excellent is Preferred Plus, Very good is Preferred, Good is Standard Plus, Average is Standard. Quotes use this; the carrier confirms after underwriting. Not sure? Quote two classes and examine both; underwriting decides the real one. Picking higher doesn't lower the final bill—just makes your quote guess worse.
Susman can help match you with carriers that fit your profile better, which matters more than the starting rate.