Formerly known as the “Medical Information Bureau,” MIB Group, Inc. (or simply MIB) checks records to uncover “errors, omissions or misrepresentations made on insurance applications.” [1] The MIB provides medical history information similar to a credit report and it helps the insurance companies mitigate risk by protecting against fraud.
Life insurance companies use resources like the MIB to learn more about your health history during underwriting — the process used to evaluate life insurance applications.
How does the Medical Information Bureau work?
The MIB was founded in 1902 and works with life insurance companies to combat fraud by compiling information from previous life, health, disability, and long-term care insurance applications. [2]
Insurance underwriters use the MIB to verify that the information you’ve disclosed on your current application is consistent with previous applications so they can set your premiums accurately. The MIB report is mainly used to verify your medical history. Your rates aren’t based solely on the report — it’s just one factor that contributes to your overall profile.
MIB member companies account for 99% of the individual life insurance policies issued in the U.S. and Canada, according to the Federal Trade Commission. [3] Every insurer that belongs to the MIB can see what other underwriters already know about people who are applying for life insurance.
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What information is in an MIB report?
An MIB report includes information about your life insurance applications over the last three to five years. Information found on an MIB report includes:
Date of any previous life insurance applications
Date of diagnosis or treatment for an illness
Known medical conditions
Types of treatment
Where the medical history came from
For example, if you had prostate cancer, underwent surgery, and previously applied for life insurance, your coded MIB records would show an insurer that you had an operation, when it happened, and how that information was obtained — likely from an attending physician statement (APS).
The insurer then uses that information along with other sources of information that complement your health profile — the medical exam that’s a standard part of the life insurance application process, additional physician statements, a prescription check — to make sure that everything matches up and the current application isn’t missing any pertinent pieces of your health history.
Why do life insurance companies use the MIB?
Checking your application against MIB records helps your insurer verify your information and protect against fraud. Insurers also set your rates based on how risky you are to insure — how likely you are to die during your coverage period.
That’s why they pull documents like motor vehicle reports and health records and ask if you engage in any risky hobbies. An MIB check ensures the insurance company isn’t giving lower rates to someone who, for example, used to smoke, but omitted that information from a current application.
Properly evaluating applications helps keep costs in check, which benefits an insurer and its customers.
While independent life insurance brokers like policycentral don’t have direct access to your MIB file, we can advocate for you and work with multiple insurance companies to make sure you get the best rates possible when you apply for life insurance.
How does the MIB protect your privacy?
To protect your personal information, the MIB doesn’t keep your actual medical records on file. Instead, MIB information is coded and only includes “information that is significant to the underwriting process.” There are no personal identifiers that could be used for identity theft. [4]
Your information isn’t submitted to the insurer without your permission, and even then your information is protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) guidelines. You have to sign a HIPAA waiver before the insurers can access your information. Plus, insurers can’t sell or share any of your personal information.
How to check your MIB Report
If you’ve previously bought or applied for insurance, you can request a copy of your MIB report online or by phone.
When you order a copy of your MIB Consumer File, it can include:
Medical and personal information requested, along with when it was requested
The name of any insurance company that made an inquiry or received a copy of your file
Information in the MIB’s Disability Insurance Record System (“DIRS”) for anyone who has applied for disability income insurance
The information in your MIB report is protected by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), so you have the right to request a copy of your file at any time.
Disputing your MIB Consumer File
If there’s an error in your MIB consumer file, FCRA protections allow you to dispute your file if anything is misrepresented.
You can request a free reinvestigation from the MIB, noting anything that you think is inaccurate or incomplete.
This can take up to 45 days to complete, [5] so if you’re disputing your file because you noticed an error on a current life insurance application, it’s best to wait for the report before applying with another insurer.
