THE
MEDICAL INFORMATION BUREAU (MIB)
(Prepared by a patient without medical training - last update Apr. 2006)
WHAT DOES THE MIB DO?
- The MIB provides information to
insurance companys when a person applies for life, health, disability,
or long term care insurance. The MIB collects medical information on patients
from insurance companies and perhaps others.
- Every patient should obtain
their MIB record and check it for accuracy. The MIB may have
erroneous information that will harm your chances of obtaining
medically related insurance. Remember, MIB serves
the insurance industry, not patients.
- MIB perhaps does more than
what it
says on its website.
- It makes itself sound fairly
innocent. It says only about 20% of
patients have a record with MIB, though some statements were rather
cryptic, e.g.:
- "The only information
reported
to MIB are brief coded
resumes of medical conditions, tests, or other conditions significant
to health or longevity that were found during the underwriting of your
application".
- "Member companies are
required to report to MIB a
brief coded record of conditions and findings that may be significant
to the proposed insured's health or longevity. Medical conditions are
reported using one or more of about 230 codes."
- It seems that in order to be of
value in
detecting fraud, the MIB would
have to obtain independently medical information though were that done,
it would possibly violate medical privacy laws.
WHAT
INFORMATION THE MIB WILL PROVIDE:
- Upon receipt of your (a)
request for a Record Search and Disclosure, and (b) proper
identification, MIB will initiate the disclosure process and provide
you with the nature and substance of information, if any, that MIB may
have in its files pertaining to you gathered during the twelve (12) month period
preceding your request for disclosure. Note that it supposedly
does not provide information older than 12 months.
- the name(s) of the MIB member
companies, if any, that reported information to MIB; and,
- the name(s) of the MIB member companies,
if any, that received a copy of your MIB record
HOW
TO GET YOUR RECORD FROM THE MIB:
- Follow
directions on the MIB web page. Print out the form and mail
it. The original printout with your original signature is
required. Do not fax nor email the form.
- From the MIB web page, U.S. citizens can request their record, if
any, by following these steps:
- Step 1 Download a
Request for Disclosure Form from
- Step 2 Fill in the
Request for Disclosure Form completely
- Step 3 Print the
Request for Disclosure Form
- Step 4 Sign and mail
the Request for Disclosure Form (along with your check or money order for $9.00 if not
paying by credit card) to:
P.O.
Box 105
Essex Station
Boston, MA 02112
TEL. 617-426-3660
- Step
5 If you have a problem downloading the MIB form, send your name
and mailing address by email to the MIB at disclosure@mib.com