Ameritas Life Insurance Underwriting
Four-tier multi-line ladder with a double-cascade Wellness Program credit and an age-graded substandard cap that tightens sharply at 81 and older.
Top-two placement probability for the sample profile
Probability that 58-year-old male with BMI 29, treated hypertension (130/85 on 1 medication), father had an MI at age 62, total cholesterol 240, non-smoker lands in the two highest non-tobacco tiers at Ameritas.
Class Ladder
Ameritas publishes the following underwriting classes. Class names differ across carriers; comparing top-tier placement requires normalizing to a common taxonomy.
Where Ameritas Is Competitive
- Full four-tier non-tobacco ladder across Life, DI, and VUL under a single underwriting guide
- Wellness Program can deliver up to two table credits for favorable lifestyle with one ratable impairment
- Substandard runs through Table P (Table 16) for applicants under 81, matching the most lenient peer pattern
- Labeled Select Nontobacco tier gives near-preferred applicants a specific landing zone
Where Ameritas Is Stricter
- Preferred Plus requires 60 months nicotine-free, matching the strictest peer carriers
- Ages 81 to 85 cap at Table D, effectively declining cases rated above that at those ages
- Private pilots without 500-plus solo hours face a demotion from Preferred Plus
- Credit Program's detailed criteria (A1c, cardiac testing, albumin) are not always triggered on a standard profile
Distinctive Underwriting Rules
Wellness Program double-cascade for up to two table credits
Ameritas's Wellness Program can move mild substandard up to Standard and move moderate substandard up to mild, giving up to two table credits in total. This matches Mutual of Omaha's Fit Credit Program and is the most generous table-credit structure among modeled peers.
Age-graded substandard cap tightens at 81
Under 81, Ameritas rates substandard through Table P (approximately 500 percent of standard). At 81 to 85, capacity beyond Table D is effectively zero. Very senior applicants with meaningful impairments often face a decline rather than a rated offer.
Strict pilot hours and aircraft criteria
Ameritas reserves Preferred Plus for pilots with 500-plus solo hours, under 250 hours per year, flying conventional aircraft. Applicants with less experience or non-conventional aircraft demote from the top tier to Preferred.
Who Ameritas Tends to Fit
Best-fit profiles
- Mild substandard applicants who qualify for Wellness Program credits
- Near-preferred cases who benefit from a dedicated Select Nontobacco tier
- Multi-line buyers who want one carrier for Life, DI, and VUL
Less ideal profiles
- Applicants age 81 to 85 with substandard ratings above Table D
- Pilots without 500 plus solo hours or with non-conventional aircraft
- Former smokers in the two-to-five year cessation window chasing Preferred Plus
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Ameritas's preferred classes?
Ameritas publishes four non-tobacco classes (Preferred Plus, Preferred, Select, Standard) plus Preferred Tobacco and Standard Tobacco. The same ladder governs Life, DI, and VUL products.
How does Ameritas's Wellness Program work?
The Wellness Program can shift mild substandard up to Standard and moderate substandard up to mild, giving up to two table credits total for applicants with favorable lifestyle and one ratable impairment. That is the most generous table-credit structure among modeled peers, tied with Mutual of Omaha's Fit Credit Program.
Why is Ameritas tougher on very senior applicants?
Ameritas publishes Jumbo capacity at zero for Table E through P at ages 81 to 85, effectively capping substandard at Table D in that band. Very senior applicants with meaningful impairments typically face a decline rather than a rated offer.
What are Ameritas's pilot requirements for top-tier placement?
Preferred Plus requires 500-plus solo hours, under 250 hours per year, and conventional aircraft. Applicants falling outside those thresholds demote to Preferred. The boolean aviation indicator without hours data typically places pilots at Preferred as a conservative default.
Source and Methodology
Underwriting rules on this page are derived from Ameritas's publicly available Ameritas Underwriting Guide, published 2020-02. Guide version tracked as 2020.02. Top-two placement probability reflects the Lumis Life underwriting estimator applied to the sample profile; live estimates use the client's actual assessment inputs.
Real placement depends on medical records, paramedical exam labs, financial underwriting, and current carrier appetite. See the methodology page for the full approach, class taxonomy definitions, and update cadence. This page is informational and is not a quote, offer of insurance, or guarantee of placement.
Related Carriers
- Equitable (44% top-two for the sample profile)
- American National (40% top-two for the sample profile)
- Mutual of Omaha (38% top-two for the sample profile)
- Back to the full 18-carrier comparison
Run a live estimate for your client
The Lumis Life dashboard runs the underwriting estimator against all eighteen carriers using the client's actual health profile from the longevity assessment. See where this carrier ranks for your specific case before routing an informal inquiry.
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