The short answer
A rate class is the health grade an insurer gives you at underwriting, and your premium is priced from it. Banner Life, for example, prices its OPTerm policies in four non-tobacco classes (Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus and Standard) and two tobacco classes.[1] In InsuranceGeek's March 2026 study across 30 or more insurers, Preferred Plus cost 50 to 55% less than Standard for the same policy.[2]
- Nonsmoker rates after quitting
- 12 months at most insurers
- Stated by
- insure.com and MoneyGeek, 2026
On this page
The classes, and what each one costs
Names vary. InsuranceGeek notes that Ultra Preferred, Preferred Select and Super Preferred usually mean Preferred Plus.[2] The order is the same everywhere, and so is the shape of the price gap.
- Preferred Plus 50 to 55% below Standard, Preferred 35 to 38% below, Standard Plus 15 to 18% below
- Table 2 is 50% above Standard, Table 4 is 100% above
The ad price is almost always the top class. InsuranceGeek says every advertised rate is Preferred Plus and fewer than 10% of applicants qualify for it.[2] That is the single biggest reason a final offer comes in above the quote you first saw.
| Profile | Better class | Worse class | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male 40, $500,000, 20-year, Preferred Plus against Standard | About $28 a month | About $54 a month | InsuranceGeek, March 2026 [2] |
| Male 35, $500,000, 20-year, nonsmoker against smoker | $343 a year | $1,606 a year | insure.com [3] |
| Male 40, $500,000, 20-year, ex-smoker against active smoker | $44 a month | $154 a month | MoneyGeek [4] |
Checked November 11, 2026. Each row is that site's own sample and assumes the profile shown. Insurer not named. Not a quote. Your price depends on your health and the insurer.
What separates the classes
Insurers do not publish their full criteria to consumers, so the cutoffs below are one site's description of what is typical, not any insurer's rule.
| Class | Blood pressure | Cholesterol | BMI, typical top | Other common limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preferred Plus | 130/80 or lower, usually without medicine | 220 or lower, ratio 4.5 or lower | 28 to 30 | No nicotine for 3 to 5 years, clean family history before 60 |
| Preferred | 140/85 or lower, one medicine allowed | 240 or lower, ratio 5.0 or lower | About 33 to 35 | One moving violation in 3 years |
| Standard Plus | 145/90 or lower, two medicines allowed | 240 to 260 with good HDL | 35 to 38 | Prediabetes without medicine |
| Standard | 150/95 or lower, controlled | Elevated but insurable | Up to the insurer's limit | Several medicines allowed |
Checked November 11, 2026. InsuranceGeek's summary of typical cutoffs, page modified June 12, 2026.[2] Each insurer sets its own.
Below Standard, table ratings
Below Standard, insurers add table ratings. InsuranceGeek describes each table as a permanent 25% surcharge, so Table 4 costs double Standard.[2] The base the surcharge sits on is not the same everywhere. Banner's consumer spec sheet says its table rated premiums are based on its Standard Plus class, not Standard.[1] InsuranceGeek also separates flat extras, a dollar charge per $1,000 for a set period that can drop off later, from table ratings, which stay.[2]
Tobacco, and when quitting changes your class
For nicotine, the calendar is the whole game. insure.com says most insurers reclassify you as a nonsmoker after 12 consecutive months without tobacco or nicotine, and that some require 2 to 5 years for their best nonsmoker tier.[3] MoneyGeek puts reconsideration at 12 to 24 tobacco-free months.[4]
| Insurer | Quit rule as reported |
|---|---|
| Allstate | At least one year tobacco free for nonsmoker rates |
| Prudential | 12 months cigarette free for former smokers |
| Mutual of Omaha | At least 12 months tobacco free for nonsmoker rates |
| Transamerica | Preferred class after 24 months without smoking |
| Protective | Preferred rates 24 months after the last cigarette |
Checked November 11, 2026. As reported by MoneyGeek on its smokers page, updated November 9, 2026, not taken from the insurers' own documents.[4]
Vaping counts as smoking at most insurers, and cigars are split. MoneyGeek reports that some insurers give nonsmoker rates for one to two cigars a month with a negative nicotine test.[4]
Plan your quit dates
Enter the day you quit. The planner shows when each period reported above is reached and what the nonsmoker price is worth. The premiums loaded are an example.
Example. A 35-year-old man who quit eight months ago
- Smoker premium today, $500,000, 20 years
- $1,606 a year
- Nonsmoker premium for the same profile
- $343 a year
- Months left before 12 months tobacco free
- 4
- Difference once reclassified
- $1,263 a year
insure.com's sample prices, page modified August 21, 2026.[3] Every month the request waits past the 12-month date costs about $105 at these prices. Not a quote.
Reconsideration or a new policy
There are two routes, and sources disagree on which one exists. insure.com says to contact your insurer and request a smoker rate reconsideration, while warning that some insurers will only offer a new policy.[3] InsuranceGeek says the rate on a policy you already own is locked at issue and the way to a better class is a new application.[2] Ask your insurer first, then price a new policy as well.
- Keep proof of the quit date. insure.com notes that insurers ask for an exact date and that vague answers can push reclassification back by months.[3]
- Ask for reconsideration on the 12-month date. It is not automatic.
- Price a new policy too. A new policy is priced at your current age and may use a shorter level period, so compare the full cost, not just the rate. Our insurance age guide covers how the age step works.
- Do not cancel the old policy first. Keep it until the new one is issued and in force.
The rule runs one way. insure.com says insurers do not re-check tobacco status during the life of the policy, so a policy issued honestly at nonsmoker rates stays there.[3]
For more on how price is built from class, age and amount, see how a term price is built. To find out which class you are likely to land in at several insurers, start a quote.
Questions people ask
What is the best life insurance rate class?
Preferred Plus, sometimes sold as Super Preferred or Preferred Select. InsuranceGeek says fewer than 10% of applicants qualify for it.
Is Standard a bad rate class?
No. Standard is the base price for average health for your age. Standard Plus and the Preferred classes are discounts from it, and table ratings are surcharges on top.
Do nicotine patches or gum count as tobacco?
At most insurers, yes. InsuranceGeek says patches, gum and vaping are treated as tobacco by most carriers.
Will my rate go up if I start smoking after the policy is issued?
insure.com says no. Insurers do not raise the rate for lifestyle changes after issue, as long as the application was answered honestly.
Last updated November 13, 2026. Found an error? Call (305) 699-5857 and it goes in the corrections log.
Sources (4)
- Banner Life, OPTerm Level Premium Plans product information for individuals, form CN04022026-2, no date shown. Opened November 11, 2026. bannerlife.com
- InsuranceGeek, Life Insurance Rate Classes, Preferred Plus to Table Ratings, modified June 12, 2026. Opened November 11, 2026. insurancegeek.com
- insure.com, Can You Lie About Smoking on Life Insurance, modified August 21, 2026. Opened November 11, 2026. insure.com
- MoneyGeek, Cheapest Life Insurance for Smokers, Affordable 2026 Rates, updated November 9, 2026. Opened November 11, 2026. moneygeek.com
