Guide
Health classes explained
The four rate classifications—Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard—and what determines which one applies to you.
Insurance companies organize pricing using underwriting categories. Names differ slightly between companies, but the hierarchy remains constant: Preferred Plus (occasionally called Super Preferred or Preferred Elite), Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard, followed by special ratings for higher risk profiles. Tobacco users sit in a separate, costlier tier.
What underwriters look at
Health factors include your weight relative to height, blood pressure and cholesterol numbers, whether close relatives had heart or cancer diagnoses before age 60, your traffic and criminal record, your medication history, your profession and recreational pursuits, and nicotine or tobacco products. Preferred Plus requires nearly perfect results across all factors; Preferred is more forgiving; Standard Plus and Standard accommodate managed conditions such as well-controlled blood pressure.
How to use the quote tool
When you answer the health question, give an honest assessment of your current condition: Excellent corresponds to Preferred Plus, Very good to Preferred, Good to Standard Plus, and Average to Standard. Your quote reflects this grouping, but the underwriter confirms the true category once they review your file. When in doubt, request quotes for two different classifications and evaluate them side by side. The final premium doesn't decrease simply because you selected an optimistic category during the initial estimate; you just get a less accurate quote.
Susman Insurance Agency specializes in identifying which carriers have the most favorable underwriting rules for your particular situation, and that sometimes matters more than who has the absolute lowest quote.