Guide
Health classes explained
Four rating levels exist for underwriting: what each tier signifies, and the factors that determine where someone falls.
Term life is priced according to underwriting tier. Each provider uses slightly different naming, though the structure stays consistent: Preferred Plus (occasionally called Super Preferred or Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard, plus surcharge ratings for higher risk. Applicants using tobacco products have parallel tiers with increased premiums.
What underwriters look at
Your height and weight proportion, blood pressure and cholesterol values, family medical background (heart or cancer diagnoses before age 60), history of traffic violations, medications and dosages, job type and personal activities, and any tobacco or nicotine products. Top-tier approval demands excellent results in virtually all categories; the next level permits slight variations; lower tiers allow well-managed existing conditions such as medicated high blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
When asked about your health, provide an honest self-assessment: Excellent corresponds to Preferred Plus, Very good to Preferred, Good to Standard Plus, and Average to Standard. Quotes align with your chosen tier; the carrier's underwriting may affirm or adjust this. When uncertain, pull quotes at two levels for comparison, then allow the application to determine your actual tier. Overstating your health category won't reduce your final cost; it only makes projections inaccurate.
When underwriting creates questions about your health or situation, Susman Insurance Agency can match you with providers whose underwriting standards are most favorable toward your specific circumstances—frequently a more meaningful factor than the advertised lowest rate.