Guide
Health classes explained
Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard: what the rating language means and the factors that place you in each.
Carriers use rate class to set term life pricing. The terminology shifts between companies, but the ladder is uniform: Preferred Plus (sometimes Super Preferred or Best Preferred), Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard, with special ratings for higher hazards above that. Tobacco users occupy a parallel structure at elevated rates.
What underwriters look at
Physical measurements (height, weight), bloodwork (cholesterol, blood pressure), family history of disease before age 60, driving record, medications you take, your job and hobbies, and tobacco or nicotine use. Preferred Plus and better require clean results in essentially all categories; Preferred Plus offers small flexibility; Standard Plus and Standard allow managed conditions (controlled blood pressure, for instance).
How to use the quote tool
The health question prompts honest self-assessment: Excellent corresponds to Preferred Plus, Very good to Preferred, Good to Standard Plus and Average to Standard. Quotes compute from that class; the company confirms your final class after reviewing your application. Try quoting two different classes if unsure and compare results; the underwriting process will make the final determination. Optimistic self-rating does not bring down final cost—it just makes estimates less realistic.
We can help identify carriers whose underwriting rules are friendlier to your specific health situation or background, which often carries more weight than the base rate for your class.