Health Insurance Info - Check the MIB for $9.00

[Telly]

Ah, Health Insurance... the bane of ER's.

The "Medical Information Bureau" now has shortened their name to "MIB". The MIB is a private company that maintains a collection of health-related databases. Databases with info about you and me. Any request for health insurance, and you will sign a fine-print statement that authorizes the ins. co. to check and trade with the MIB. And where does the MIB get their info from? From health providers, and anything that you have ever disclosed. And if you decide not to disclose something, they will probably find it in the MIB in a cross-check anyway.

Insurance Underwriters use the MIB in determining IF they are going to insure you, and what invisible rate class they will put you in if they do.

You can request a dump of what the MIB has on you, sort of like the health equivalent of checking your own credit through a credit bureau.

At mib.com, you can download a 4 page PDF file with the request forms. Just 1 page to fill out (its quick and easy) and a 1/2 page pay sheet. Then send the forms with a check for $9.00, and they will send you:

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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;
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 during the twelve (12) month period preceding your request for disclosure.
To proceed, please complete, sign and submit your "Request for Record Search and Disclosure" form and the appropriate payment of $9.00* (U.S. Residents only), payable by check, money order, or credit card. Disclosure will be made within 30 days of receipt of a completed "Request for Record Search and Disclosure" form at our offices.
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I wouldn't do it by credit card, no sense letting them put your card # in their database too!

I sent mine off, will see what kind of dirt they have.

[MRGALT2U]

Hello Telly! The "bane of ERs" indeed. We have been
kind of forced to change our approach to this vs. when
I first opted out in 1993. Initially (I was single then)
I just bought individual coverage for calamities and
disasters. It was pretty cheap, maybe $150 per month
with a $10,000 deductible. However, I switched
companies several times and acquired some chronic health issues while this was occurring. Eventually
I could no longer find conventional major med. at any
price, and based on what I have seen of the premiums
couldn't afford it if it was offered to us. Thus, we now
have a kind of hybrid coverage, more or less the
reverse of where I started out. We now have coverage
for most everything EXCEPT calamities and disasters.
The way it works is that every condition/treatment is specifically
capped as far as your coverage. We love it as it
is simple and affordable. Alas, a really major illness would not be covered over a very minimal
limit. If that happens I am hoping for a very short
interval between the onset of symptoms and my demise. Speaking of a short interval until my demise,
I suspect there may be some hoping for this, regardless of my insurance situation .

[haha]

Thanks, Telly. Very informative post.

Mikey

[Ted]

The "Medical Information Bureau" now has shortened their name to "MIB".

Are you sure that it doesn't now stand for "Men in Black"?

[Telly]

An update. I received my MIB request. It said they had no information on me. I probably was a lousy test case for this, as I am extremely healthy. Haven't been to a Dr. since, uh, let me think, was it 1994? or maybe earlier? And that was really just for a prescription for an antibiotic. If there was a roadside stand that I could have bought it from, I could have just D-I-Y'd that, too!

I was a bit surprised that the health ins. co. didn't request the MIB about me as part of their underwriting process. That is supposed to show up on the MIB report too. It is possible that I gave the ins. co. enough detail, and they may have checked via Dr. office directly, but I think the Dr. office would have said "Telly?" "Telly who?"

I suspect that most people are leaving a much bigger trail of health info than I am!

I wouldn't want my experience to dissuade anyone from spending the $9 and seeing what they can find out about themselves that others can. I was just a lousy trial case!

[MRGALT2U]

Hi Telly. Doubt I will order the MIB report on myself.
Some paper mill somewhere would probably have to go on overtime if anyone tried to print out my health
history. You are very fortunate re. your health. As long
as you remain "extremely healthy" you will be rich,
regardless of what the economy and your investments
are doing.