Guide
Health classes explained
The labels Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard, what each category means, and the factors that determine which one you fit into.
Insurance carriers organize applicants into rate classes for pricing. The exact names shift slightly between companies, but the structure stays the same: Preferred Plus (sometimes Super Preferred or Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus, Standard, and then higher ratings for greater risk. People who use tobacco have their own set of classes at increased rates.
What underwriters look at
Height and weight ratio, blood pressure and cholesterol numbers, any close family members with early heart disease or cancer, your driving history, current and past prescriptions, your job and pastimes, and tobacco or nicotine use. Preferred Plus requires excellent results in almost every area; Preferred accepts minor variations; Standard Plus and Standard approve people with controlled issues like high blood pressure being treated.
How to use the quote tool
The health section asks you to pick a phrase that describes you: Excellent leads to Preferred Plus quotes, Very good to Preferred, Good to Standard Plus, and Average to Standard. The carrier confirms your actual class after reviewing your application. When in doubt, quote two classes and see the difference, then choose the honest one; picking a better class than you deserve does not reduce what you pay, it just makes the estimate wrong.
Susman Insurance Agency can help you locate carriers with guidelines that are more flexible around a particular health condition or circumstance, which frequently has a bigger impact on your final rate than the headline cost.