Do I Have to Give My Health Insurance Provider My Sensitive Medical Information?

My wife recently underwent a major operation. Our health insurance asked us to send them the operative report. I would rather not, as I have worries about how offering up the information might affect her chances of getting health insurance or life insurance in the future. Can the health insurance demand this information before paying out benefits?

Hi there,

As a general rule, you are only required to give your health insurance the information which is necessary for them to determine the costs which they are required to cover. Sensitive medical information, such as that found in an operative report, generally is not required to determine medical costs.

If, for any reason, the insurance company does require part of the information included in documents which also include sensitive medical information, the insurance provider should refer you to a third-party partner doctor who is bound by medical discretion. This doctor can review the report and extract the information required by the insurance company while not including sensitive information.

Best regards from Moneyguru

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