The Medical
Information Bureau Affects Your Ability to
Get Insurance
When we want to borrow money for mortgages, car loans and credit cards, lenders
refer to credit bureaus, like Equifax, to obtain information about our loan
repayment history. If we are good bill payers, we are granted the loans we want.
Most people are surprised to learn that health, life, disability and long-term
care insurers subscribe to a similar resource that provides them with
information about our health histories. The Medical Information Bureau (MIB)
supplies them with the information they need to determine whether we are healthy
enough to warrant their coverage.
If you applied for one of these insurances, it’s possible the MIB’s report about
your health history played a role in the decision. The MIB compiled that report
using information gathered from other members who insured you previously. The
new insurer then made its decision about whether to accept your application
based on that record.
Perhaps you are very healthy and have always been so. Lucky you! You were
probably approved.
But if you had anything on your record that would indicate you weren’t 100
percent healthy, then you may have been turned down. Insurers avoid applicants
with chronic illnesses like allergies, even more so those with heart disease,
diabetes or any history of a more difficult illness.
If you ever apply for new health insurance in the future, perhaps because you’ve
been laid off, start your own business, retire early, or stop working for your
employer for any reason, you could be turned down based on your health history.
While you may have access to another option called COBRA for a short period,
eventually you’ll have to find a new insurer, and the MIB will play an important
role.
Also, if you ever choose to apply for life, disability or long-term care
insurance, and you have ever been treated for something that could be considered
chronic or difficult, then you might be rejected based on the MIB’s report about
your health history.
It becomes imperative, then, that you be certain your medical records contain no
mistakes that could have a negative impact on your ability to get insurance.
That means accessing a copy of your MIB record and reviewing it for errors.
Similar to credit bureaus, the law states you may access your MIB consumer
health record once each year at no cost, and dispute any errors you find in it.
Not everyone will have a record at the MIB. If you have applied for any of the
insurances listed above within the last seven years, it’s likely you will. To
get your copy, call the MIB at 1-866-692-6901. If you are hearing impaired, you
may use TTY 866-346-3642.
You’ll need to supply them with information like your social security number,
your date of birth, current and previous mailing addresses, and any additional
surnames you’ve had, like a maiden name. Once they have verified who you are,
they will prepare a report for you, and mail you a copy within 15 days.
What will you find? Not much on that particular report. It will disclose only
which of its members has requested information about you, and some basics so you
can verify it was your record. For example, I applied, and was accepted for a
life insurance policy last year. I requested my MIB record last month. The
report tells me only which company requested my record, plus it lists my height
and weight.
Your report may list more or less information than mine did. You should receive
enough information to know whether you need to look further. For example, if my
weight had been listed incorrectly, it would give me a clue that my report
needed correcting.
If you want to make corrections or just obtain more information about your
record, then make a copy of the paperwork they send you, write a letter that
includes your contact information and the nature of your question or dispute,
and mail it to the MIB. They will contact the member company that furnished the
information, that company will investigate your claim and amend your record if
it finds discrepancies. You’ll be notified of its decisions, and a copy of your
dispute letter will be kept in your file for any future applications you may
make.
The MIB claims that fewer than one percent of the histories it provides to its
members are ever amended. We patients should translate that to mean the reports
are either very accurate, or the companies that make the reports successfully
defend the information they’ve included in the reports. Either way, and because
they may make such a difference in our future ability to get insurance, it’s
worth reviewing, and correcting if necessary.
Return to Main List
of Columns
TOP
Trisha Torrey is Every Patient’s
AdvocateTM.
She offers no medical advice,
but empowers those who
want to learn more about
diagnosis and treatment options
by
providing useful tools and
resources.
|
|
|
|
Return to
Main List of
Columns
|
|
Were you looking for
a different column?
These columns
rotate, and
sometimes search
engines don't keep
up with them.
All columns get
moved to the
Archives,
and you can access
them for
free by registering.
There may be an
update
to this
column.
Read Trisha's Blog!
Would you like to
be
notified when new
columns are
accessible? |
|
|
| |
|
|
Trisha is the
Guide to
Patient Empowerment |
|
|
Publishers and
Editors:
if you would like to
include
this, or a similar
column
in your publication,
please inquire here. |
|
|
|
|
© 2008 Trisha Torrey
No material found in this
website
is to be reproduced without
expressed written consent of the
author.
|
|
