Guide
Health classes explained
Four main underwriting classes—Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus, Standard—plus higher-risk tiers. Here's what each means.
Insurance companies organize pricing using rate class. The names shift slightly from carrier to carrier, but the hierarchy stays the same: Preferred Plus (or Super Preferred, Preferred Best), then Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard, with table ratings beyond that for higher risk. Tobacco users occupy a separate tier at higher rates.
What underwriters look at
Carriers look at your build, blood pressure, cholesterol, whether heart disease or cancer ran in your family before age 60, your driving record, your medications, your work and hobbies, and any tobacco or nicotine use. Preferred Plus demands clean results almost across the board. Preferred is more forgiving. Standard Plus and Standard accept managed conditions like controlled high blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
On the quote form, you describe your health honestly using four options: Excellent aligns with Preferred Plus, Very good with Preferred, Good with Standard Plus, and Average with Standard. Your quote reflects that class; the carrier makes the final call after reviewing your application. Unsure? Quote both classes and compare the costs. Picking a rosier class doesn't actually lower what you pay—it just makes the estimate wrong.
Susman Insurance Agency can guide you to carriers with more favorable underwriting for your particular situation—something that often beats chasing the lowest quoted rate.