A flat extra rating is the underwriting decision to add a flat extra charge to a policy, expressed as a dollar amount per $1,000 of face amount. It is used when a defined, time-bound hazard elevates immediate risk-recent malignancy, high-risk hobbies, or occupation-beyond what a standard rate class would cover. Threatening may be temporary (dropping off after a set period) or permanent. Flat extras enable more precise pricing than moving the entire case to a higher table, allowing coverage to be issued while compensating the insurer for the incremental mortality exposure.

Underwriters add a flat extra when a discrete hazard elevates near-term risk.Advisors negotiate duration and amount, propose mitigation, and track milestones for removal. Compared with a higher table class, a temporary flat extra may lower lifetime cost when the hazard is expected to resolve.