It depends on exactly what you mean by that question. If you are asking can they look at whatever they want, whenever they want, then the answer is no. Various federal laws protect your right to medical privacy. But there are means for them to access your medical records: They have limited access to medical information about you for purposes of approving the policy through the Medical Information Bureau. They can gain access if you sign an authorization, so read everything carefully before you sign. They may be able to subpoena records if there is evidence of illegal activity. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) In 1996, the U.S. federal government passed The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. …show more content…
Various kinds of accident coverage are quite common. In fact, it is possible that there will be several policies in force at the time of one's demise. For example, if you happen to buy plane tickets to go on vacation with a credit card and then rent a car while on vacation with another credit card, and then have a car accident, it is possible that both credit cards issued insurance coverage relevant to this event. So, in this case, there would need to be additional information submitted beyond just the death certificate in order for the claim to be properly reviewed. Accidental death insurance is only payable when fairly narrow conditions are met. It thus generally requires additional supporting documentation in order to show that all conditions were met. Balance and Counterbalance Now that you have that background, let's try to sum this up: While life insurance companies are not covered by HIPAA, the doctors, hospitals and clinics that hold your medical records are covered by it. There are substantial restrictions on their right to share this