What is an MIB report?

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MIB maintains a record of almost everyone who has applied for a life, health, critical illness, disability or long-term care insurance policy. It’s a good bet that if you’ve applied for a life insurance policy recently, MIB will have a file on you.

What is the medical information bureau?

The Medical Information Bureau (MIB) is a non-profit organization that collects and maintains information on insurance applicants. It was founded in 1902 by a group of life insurance companies to create an industry-wide database to combat fraud and support the underwriting process.

The MIB stores data on previous insurance applications, which member insurance companies can access when underwriting new policies. This information helps insurers assess risk and determine policy premiums.

How does the MIB work?

Here’s the skinny on requesting a report:

Records are maintained only for seven years. If you haven’t submitted an insurance application to a member company during the last seven years, MIB won’t have a file on you.

You are entitled to one free report annually. Don’t fall for online scams that want to charge you for this information. U.S. residents can call MIB directly at 1-866-692-6901 for a free copy of your file.

You can dispute errors. If you think the information in your file is incorrect, you can write a letter to dispute the MIB report. The organization will investigate and amend your report if your dispute is substantiated. Otherwise, you can submit a ‘statement of dispute” to be included in your file.

Insurance companies can only access your record with your authorization. When you apply for insurance through a member company, you will be given a pre-notice brochure explaining MIB and asked to sign an authorization allowing the insurer to pull your MIB record. Without this authorization, the group won’t release your record.

MIB also offers a life insurance policy finder service for those seeking a relative’s lost life insurance policy. But just as with your own report, records go back only seven years. If you’re the executor or administrator of an estate with a lost life insurance policy, you can use MIB’s policy locator service.

What information does the MIB collect?

The Medical Information Bureau (MIB) collects and maintains information related to an individual’s medical history and insurance applications. The specific data collected by the MIB includes:

Date of prior applications you have made for life insurance coverage
Record of medical conditions, including physical and mental health disorders
Date of diagnosis for any medical conditions you have
Treatment plans and prescriptions
Types of medical conditions and treatments
Criminal records
Foreign travel
Driving record
Employment status
Lifestyle choices

While the MIB report is not the only factor insurance companies consider, it serves as a tool for insurance companies to verify the accuracy of the information provided by applicants.

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How to get your MIB report

To order a MIB report, all you have to do is call a toll-free number. Requesting someone else’s file is fraud and is subject to high penalties.

After answering a laundry list of questions through the automated system, you can get your report. Be prepared to give the following information:

Social Security number
Full name
Date of birth
Birthplace
Occupation
Recent addresses
Phone number

Although MIB asks for 15 days to process and mail your file, the report may arrive sooner.

How to dispute errors on a MIB report

As a consumer, you have the legal right to dispute any inaccuracies in your MIB report with the consumer reporting company and the source of the information, such as your lender.

According to the FCRA, these companies must conduct a reasonable investigation of your claim without charging you any fees. If an error is found, the company responsible for providing the incorrect information must correct the mistake and inform all other consumer reporting companies that received the same inaccurate data.

What is the purpose of the medical information bureau?

The mission of the MIB is to prevent fraud and misrepresentation.

In other words, the reports can tip off insurance companies that an applicant is lying. If you are denied by Insurance Company A for life insurance because you have congestive heart failure and then don’t mention that diagnosis when applying to Insurance Company B, your MIB report will expose the fraud to the other insurer.

The MIB doesn’t have medical records — only information reported by its members.

Life insurance companies do not make application decisions based on your MIB report. Unlike your insurance score, which can affect your auto and home insurance premiums, the MIB report isn’t used to determine your life or health insurance eligibility. MIB bylaws expressly prohibit insurance companies from relying solely on the report to make a coverage decision.

Why do life insurance companies use the MIB report?

Life insurance companies use the Medical Information Bureau (MIB) as a resource to gather relevant and accurate information about an applicant’s medical history.

When an individual applies for life insurance coverage, the insurer wants to evaluate their health status and find out about any pre-existing medical conditions that could affect their life expectancy or increase the probability of insurance claims in the future.

By accessing the MIB’s database, life insurance companies can get additional medical information that the applicant may not have disclosed during the application process. This database allows insurers to cross-reference an applicant’s medical history with the information provided by other insurance companies to identify any discrepancies or potential health risks.

Sources:

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. “MIB, Inc.” Accessed June 2023.

MIB.com. “Request Your MIB Underwriting Services Consumer File.” Accessed June 2023.

Frequently asked questions

Who can access MIB information?

The Medical Information Bureau (MIB) provides reports to insurance underwriters, while individuals can access their own MIB records. To ensure privacy, MIB records are coded and protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to ensure privacy.

How long does the MIB have your records?

The MIB typically keeps an individual’s records for a duration of seven years. After that period, the records are generally removed from their database.

Can a MIB report delay the life insurance application process?

When a life insurance company receives a report from the Medical Information Bureau (MIB), they review the information to assess the applicant’s health and determine the risk associated with insuring them. If the MIB report reveals any discrepancies or raises concerns about the applicant’s medical history, the insurer may require additional documentation or medical examinations to evaluate the applicant’s eligibility for coverage further.

Who makes up the medical information bureau?

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Shivani Gite

Contributing Writer

Shivani Gite is a personal finance and insurance writer with a degree in journalism and mass communication. She is passionate about making insurance topics easy to understand for people and helping them make better financial decisions.