Guide
Health classes explained
Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard: what these names indicate and what factors move you among them.
Insurance pricing uses risk class. Naming shifts between companies, yet the hierarchy stays constant: Preferred Plus (sometimes Super Preferred or Best), Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard, with higher prices for over-standard cases. Smokers fall into a separate, higher-cost group.
What underwriters look at
Build (height and weight), blood pressure and lipid levels, family illness history (cancer or cardiac disease before 60), driving record, medicine use, job and recreational pursuits, and smoking or nicotine use. Getting the best tier requires favorable results across virtually everything; Preferred allows some flexibility; Standard Plus and Standard accommodate managed situations such as treated hypertension.
How to use the quote tool
The health prompt asks you to self-assess fairly: Excellent aligns with Preferred Plus, Very good with Preferred, Good with Standard Plus and Fair with Standard. The carrier recategorizes after underwriting. Try both if unsure, then the application settles it. Inflating your health status won't lower the final premium; it just makes the estimate inaccurate.
Susman Insurance Agency can point you to carriers with underwriting standards more favorable to your specific condition, which typically beats just shopping the lowest premium.