What is the medical information bureau (MIB)?

The MIB (previously known as the Medical Information Bureau) is a resource life insurance companies use to assess risk and evaluate life insurance applications.

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Katherine MurbachEditor & Licensed Life Insurance AgentKatherine Murbach is an editor and a former licensed life insurance agent at Policygenius. Previously, she wrote about life and disability insurance for 1752 Financial, and advised over 1,500 clients on their life insurance policies as a sales associate.&Tory CrowleyAssociate Editor & Licensed Life Insurance AgentTory Crowley is an associate editor and a former licensed insurance agent at Policygenius. Previously, she worked directly with clients at Policygenius, advising nearly 3,000 of them on life insurance options. She has also worked at the Daily News and various nonprofit organizations.

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Antonio Ruiz-CamachoAntonio Ruiz-CamachoAssociate Content DirectorAntonio helps lead our life insurance and disability insurance editorial team at Policygenius. Previously, he was a senior director of content at Bankrate and CreditCards.com, as well as a principal writer covering personal finance at CNET.
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Ian Bloom, CFP®, RLP®Ian Bloom, CFP®, RLP®Certified Financial PlannerIan Bloom, CFP®, RLP®, is a certified financial planner and a member of the Financial Review Council at Policygenius. Previously, he was a financial advisor at MetLife and MassMutual.

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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.

Key takeaways

  • The MIB is a resource used by life insurance companies to confirm your health history and protect against fraud.

  • Your personal medical information is coded and protected by HIPAA regulations.

  • You can request access to your MIB report for free at any time.

  • Most major insurance companies in the U.S. are part of the MIB.

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. 

Learn more about how to buy life insurance

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 Policygenius 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.

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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.

More about how to buy life insurance

Frequently asked questions

What does the MIB do?

The MIB collects data about previous life insurance applications. When you apply for life insurance, your insurer can reference the MIB to verify the information you provided on your application. This helps the insurance company approve your policy at a fair and accurate rate.

Does an MIB report delay the life insurance application process?

Depending on the information in your report, the insurance company might need to request further details from you. This is especially common for clarifying information related to your medical history, in which case the insurer may reach out to your doctor. Obtaining this additional information can delay your approval, but it’s a normal part of the life insurance application process.

Who can access MIB information?

MIB reports are available to life insurance companies after your authorization, and your record is available to you. MIB records are coded for privacy and protected under HIPAA.

What is Human API?

Human API is a health data platform that some insurers use to speed up the underwriting process. Human API can significantly speed up a life insurance application decision by pulling all of your medical records electronically, letting you skip the medical exam.

What if my insurer doesn’t use Human API?

In many cases, you can still get quick coverage without Human API. Some instant decision life insurance policies use their own accelerated underwriting technology. Other insurance companies still use your existing medical records without needing an in-person medical exam, which speeds up the application process.

References

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Policygenius uses external sources, including government data, industry studies, and reputable news organizations to supplement proprietary marketplace data and internal expertise. Learn more about how we use and vet external sources as part of oureditorial standards.

  1. MIB

    . "

    The Facts About MIB's Underwriting Services

    ." Accessed February 29, 2024.

  2. MIB Group

    . "

    About MIB

    ." Accessed February 29, 2024.

  3. Federal Trade Commission

    . "

    Medical Information Bureau

    ." Accessed February 29, 2024.

  4. MIB

    . "

    Straight Talk About MIB's Underwriting Services

    ." Accessed February 29, 2024.

  5. MIB

    . "

    How to Dispute Your MIB Underwriting Services Consumer File

    ." Accessed February 29, 2024.

Authors

Katherine Murbach is an editor and a former licensed life insurance agent at Policygenius. Previously, she wrote about life and disability insurance for 1752 Financial, and advised over 1,500 clients on their life insurance policies as a sales associate.

Tory Crowley is an associate editor and a former licensed insurance agent at Policygenius. Previously, she worked directly with clients at Policygenius, advising nearly 3,000 of them on life insurance options. She has also worked at the Daily News and various nonprofit organizations.

Editor

Antonio helps lead our life insurance and disability insurance editorial team at Policygenius. Previously, he was a senior director of content at Bankrate and CreditCards.com, as well as a principal writer covering personal finance at CNET.

Expert reviewer

Ian Bloom, CFP®, RLP®, is a certified financial planner and a member of the Financial Review Council at Policygenius. Previously, he was a financial advisor at MetLife and MassMutual.

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