Guide
Health classes explained
An explanation of Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard classifications and the factors that determine where you fall.
Insurance pricing uses rate classes based on health and risk. While labels shift between companies, the hierarchy stays the same: Preferred Plus (sometimes Super Preferred or Preferred Best), Preferred, Standard Plus, Standard, and table ratings for above-average risk. Tobacco users sit on a separate scale at higher costs.
What underwriters look at
Carriers evaluate your body measurements, BP and cholesterol numbers, whether heart disease or cancer ran in your family before age 60, your driving record, medications you take, what you do for work and play, and any tobacco or nicotine. The top class demands nearly spotless results; Preferred gives some room; Standard Plus and Standard accept managed conditions like controlled blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
When asked about your health, answer truthfully: Excellent corresponds to Preferred Plus, Very good to Preferred, Good to Standard Plus, and Average to Standard. Your quotes are based on that class; the carrier sets the real class during underwriting. Unsure of your health status? Quote both classes and compare. Picking a rosier picture won't reduce your actual cost—it just makes your estimate unreliable.
When a specific health condition is involved, Susman Insurance Agency can help you find carriers with more lenient underwriting rules for that issue—often a bigger factor in the final rate than the posted starting price.