# Anyone remember the name of the massive private medical records database company? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 25, 2013, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-the-name-of-the-massive-private-medical-records-database-company/661894 "2013-06-25T17:54:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Linden\_Arden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Linden\_Arden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linden_Arden)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-the-name-of-the-massive-private-medical-records-database-company/661894/1 "2013-06-25T17:54:08Z")
There is a non-government company funded by the insurers that stores every medical transaction for every patient in the USA but I can’t remember its name. Anyone know? ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-the-name-of-the-massive-private-medical-records-database-company/661894/2 "2013-06-25T18:22:23Z")
I’ve been an IT guy in the healthcare field for the better part of 10 years, and I’m not aware of such a system or company. There are lots of collaborative efforts among regional healthcare providers and other organizations to share data. But to my knowledge there’s no single repository for all healthcare transactions in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Linden\_Arden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Linden\_Arden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linden_Arden)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-the-name-of-the-massive-private-medical-records-database-company/661894/3 "2013-06-25T18:28:00Z")
> **[MIB Group](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_Information_Bureau)** > > MIB Group, Inc. or MIB (formerly the Medical Information Bureau) is a membership corporation owned by approximately 430 member insurance companies in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1902 and based in Braintree, Massachusetts, MIB provides services designed to protect insurers, policyholders, and applicants from attempts to conceal or omit information material to underwriting life & health insurance. > MIB's mission is to uncover errors, omissions, misrepresentations on insurance applicatio... I know I read about a similar operation a few years ago. “At the root of the controversy is the organization’s penchant for secrecy. For many years, insurance agencies consulted MIB without telling applicants about the files. Today, the secret continues, if to a lesser extent: MIB refuses to release the list of codes it uses” ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-the-name-of-the-massive-private-medical-records-database-company/661894/4 "2013-06-26T14:18:05Z")
So it’s basically Carfax for humans? Just an observation: what some consider “secrecy” others might consider “privacy.” Assuming the information has gotten to MIB legitemately (i.e. you signed something), I think I might be more inclined to consider their tight-lipped attitude toward inquiries as a “privacy” concern–concern for YOUR privacy. Making it easier for unauthorized entities to access and interpret their databases is the opposite of that. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-the-name-of-the-massive-private-medical-records-database-company/661894/5 "2013-06-26T21:01:17Z")
Uh oh. [MIB](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men_in_Black_(film)). Here comes a guy in a black suit with sunglasses holding what looks like a fountain pen - when he presses the button we will all forget what we saw here. **GSJ** , I concur about the privacy issue, however, I would want to know how I am being rated for something as important as life insurance and the like, which is why it seems more like industry secrecy than protecting privacy. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-the-name-of-the-massive-private-medical-records-database-company/661894/6 "2013-06-26T21:14:43Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > **GSJ** , I concur about the privacy issue, however, I would want to know how I am being rated for something as important as life insurance and the like, which is why it seems more like industry secrecy than protecting privacy. Life insurance is easy: you answer some questions, you get a quote, you fill out an application (more questions with additional detail), underwriting checks your answers–maybe with/without a report from MIB–and a policy is issued. If you told the truth for the quote and application, you get no surprises. If you get busted by the MIB information and your rate is different from the quote you get an explanation. What I think you CAN’T do is write to MIB and say, “What do you have on me?” But I dunno, maybe you can? Seems like it shouldn’t be any different from a credit report. I’m blathering again, I appologize. ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-the-name-of-the-massive-private-medical-records-database-company/661894/7 "2013-06-26T21:25:46Z")
[Cerner](http://www.cerner.com/) is certainly in the running here for being a medical database company. As far as Insurance company supported, I don’t believe so.