Where the insurance industry shares its intelligence

Issue with confidence

 Our Mission

Protection from Fraud

MIB, Inc. is the premiere provider of fraud

detection information for individually

underwritten life, disability income, long term

care and critical illness insurance. MIB member

companies rely on its Checking Service ™

for the fast, secure aggregation and

exchange of data to combat fraud, improve

underwriting effectiveness and increase

product line profitability while ensuring

fair pricing for all applicants.

Concerned with the undisclosed risk posed by fraudulent

applicants, 15 Medical Direc tors organized in 1890 to

ensure the livelihood of their businesses, the solvenc y of

the insurance industr y, and the fair and equitable pricing

of policies. That organization would become MIB. These

MIB member companies quick ly realized that they already

possessed the best resources for determining the accurac y

of applicants’ health – their current and former applications.

Agreeing to share and analyze this information afforded

valuable insights into the true risks they were carr ying.

More than a centur y later this integral information

exchange is still at work protec ting the life, health and

disability income insurance industries.

 Putting a powerful resource to work

Today, MIB provides nearly 500 U.S. and Canadian insurance companies

access to information of underwriting significance in the form of medical and

avocation codes.

Its core fraud protection services protect insurers, policyholders and applicants

from attempts to conceal or omit information material to the sound and equitable

underwriting of life, health, disability income and long term care insurance.

MIB facilitates this sharing of information among member companies through

a proprietary, secure system for data exchange. This data acts as the vehicle to

steer the underwriter’s investigation, providing the insurance industry with a

more complete and accurate picture of an insurance applicant’s health situation.

MIB provides underwriters the knowledge they need,

when they need it.

Underwriting Services

Checking Service Insurance Activity Index

Seeing applications in a whole Identifying frequent shoppers
new light
Even though you’d like to know all of your
Often when drawing upon information
applicants’ application activity, you often have
obtained during an applicant’s previous policy
to take their word for it, unless you’re an MIB
applications for insurance, a different picture
member benefiting from the Insurance Activity
appears. Forgetfulness. Willful omission. Outright
Index. If you suspect an applicant of loading
deception. MIB reports are renowned for
up on insurance by taking out a series of smaller
exposing a lack of candor in applications early in
policies or churning insurance from year to
the process. As a result, MIB member companies
year, you can track the number of times
are equipped with one of the most potent
an MIB check was made on their applications
weapons against undue risk exposure–
during the two years prior to yours for your
a proficient instrument enabling them quickly
line of business.
and cost effectively to get them to the point
where they can issue with confidence.
Request for Details
When you need to get granular
Follow-Up Service
Not all risk assessments are cut and dry. When
Casting a larger net
you need to verify and validate the contents
As the industry’s only source for post-policy issue
of a coded report, MIB promotes the sharing
information, the MIB Follow-up Service provides
of information with the member company that
a crucial “second chance” to underwrite based
input a particular code.
on additional, discovered information during the
contestable period. For two years following
the original MIB inquiry, this Service alerts
members to a policyholder’s medical conditions
that were undisclosed at the time of the
original application.
 Connectivity & Integration Productivity Suite

Information Where and When You Need It Intuitive tools for maximizing the
Information is most valuable when it is an integral part MIB Checking Service
of your core business processes. MIB offers a variety Our Productivity Suite is a collection of WEB-
of connectivity options and productivity tools to give based and software based tools that make
you access to our services when and where you need it. using the MIB Checking Service easier and more
Whether you need to simply provide underwriters direct efficient. The suite features an electronic version
access to MIB Services or fully integrate our Services into of the MIB Coding Manual; point and click MIB
your automated underwriting systems, MIB has a solution. Code translation for WEB-TERM; a WEB-based,
Connectivity Solutions standalone MIB Code translator; and a complete
Our WEB Enabled Business Solutions deliver rapid, Internet- set of MIB Code Tables. MIB Code Tables let your
based access to MIB services that meet even the most technology team easily build MIB Code editing,
stringent security requirements. translation and reporting processes into your
underwriting system.
• WEB-TERM (Browser-based access) - WEB-TERM
supports the entire range of MIB Services and offers a No matter what type of MIB connectivity you
simple navigation interface, drop down menus and use, the MIB Productivity Suite improves
auto-fill fields for fast and accurate data entry. underwriting efficiency when decoding or
WEB-TERM is accessible through KnowledgeNow, reporting MIB Codes. Benefits include faster
our secure extranet. translation of MIB Codes, instant access to the
MIB Coding Manual, improved coding selection
• WEB-DIRECT (ACORD compliant, system-to-system
and a faster learning curve for new underwriters.
access) – WEB-DIRECT allows you to integrate MIB
Services into your underwriting system.
WEB-DIRECT combines standard HTTP Internet
protocols with the ACORD TxLife Data Standard
allowing you to build your MIB interface from
virtually anywhere.
• MIB-LINK/Plus V3 (LAN system-to-system) –
MIB-LINK/Plus V3 also allows you to integrate MIB
Services into your underwriting system but does
not support the industry standard ACORD TxLife Data
Standard. MLP/V3 uses proprietary data formats and
requires the popular Windows Server operating system.
MIB offers a variety of connectivity solutions to address
the myriad of platforms operating throughout the industry.
We also work directly with new business and underwriting
system software vendors to ensure their systems support
the full range of MIB Services. Before you buy, ask your
vendor about their MIB support.
Training and Support What Member Companies
Say About MIB

MIB provides training and support “With MIB our rescission rate is less than
to member companies including: one percent because we catch problem
• Training for new member companies applications at the front end.”
• Advanced training for existing members
Chief Underwriter, Health Insurance
• Advice on MIB coding questions
• Guidance on Rules and Bylaws interpretations
• Toll free number for the MIB Help Desk
• Connectivity and System integration support
“MIB always finds something that
hasn’t been disclosed.”
VP, Individual Medical Underwriting

“We save $58 for every dollar

we spend on MIB.”
Assistant VP, Underwriting

Consumer Services “It is a ‘must-have’ to protect

As a secure repository of the personal and private yourself against fraud.”
health information for millions of insurance
applicants, MIB protects both consumers and the Senior Underwriter
insurance industry. Our role as a trusted guardian
extends to servicing consumers’ requests for
reinvestigations and amendments.
“I cannot do business without MIB –
it is an irreplaceable source of
Disclosure
Through an easy to use, streamlined process, anti-selection criteria.”
consumers may request their MIB records one
VP, Life Underwriting
time per year, free of charge.
Issue with confidence
A Member of the MIB Group

MIB, Inc.
160 University Avenue
Westwood, MA 02090-2307
www.mib.com