How do life insurance health class ratings affect my premiums in Nevada?

Life insurance carriers assign applicants to health class categories that determine premium rates. Understanding these categories helps you know what to expect and where improvement is possible.

Typical health classes from best to standard include: Preferred Plus (or Super Preferred), Preferred, Standard Plus, Standard, and then Table Ratings (numbered or lettered) for below-standard health. Each step down typically increases premiums by 25–50%.

Preferred Plus is reserved for the healthiest applicants—excellent vital signs, clean family history, ideal BMI, no significant medical history, and often non-tobacco for several years. Not all applicants qualify even if they consider themselves healthy.

Preferred requires generally good health with minor variations permitted—slightly elevated cholesterol under control, family history without early-onset serious disease. Standard Plus and Standard accommodate more health history, managed conditions, and higher BMI ranges.

Table ratings apply for applicants with more significant health conditions. A Table 2 rating increases standard premiums by approximately 50%; Table 8 approximately doubles them. Despite the increase, table-rated applicants can still secure meaningful coverage.

For Nevada applicants, shopping different carriers matters because each uses different actuarial tables. A condition that results in a Table 4 rating at one carrier may qualify for Standard or Standard Plus at another. Agents in our network know which carriers underwrite specific conditions more favorably—increasing your chances of the best possible rate class.