CLUE stands for a little known property loss database - Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange. The major issuer of CLUE reports is ChoicePoint, the largest compiler and seller of your personal insurance information. Their small competitor's database, APLUS (Automated Property Loss Underwriting System), is maintained by Insurance Services Office (ISO). These reports are commonly known as CLUE reports. These databases are tools that insurance companies use to decide your "insurance" score or how likely you are to file a claim against your policy. Insurers (yes, both homeowner's insurance carriers and auto insurance carriers) submit information to these databases about property loss claims paid to you under a previous insurer's policy and even inquiries you have made about coverage that did not result in a claim. Insurers then use this data to decide how much risk they are assuming by selling you an insurance policy, if they will insure you, and how much they will charge you for insurance. The database includes your name, date of birth, Social Security number and the dates of any losses, type of loss claimed, and the amount paid by the insurance company. If you file a claim against your policy, report damage without even filing a claim, or even inquire about your coverage, your premium may be increased or your insurance dropped. Even if the loss falls below your deductible or the claim is denied, or you are advised not to submit a claim, you can end up with a negative mark.

CLUE is generally unknown to the consumer, so consumers are not likely to take preventive measures to ensure accuracy. CLUE reports fall into the Fair Credit Reporting Act's (FCRA) definition of "consumer report" which has a bearing on your credit standing, credit capacity, character, general reputation, and mode of living. The FCRA sets the standard for the CLUE reports as it does for credit reports. Inaccurate or incomplete data included in such a report is likely to surface only after a policy has been dropped or the premium has increased. The consumer then has the burden of proving the information wrong.

Information about you stays on the CLUE report for five (5) years from the date the loss is reported. This may include losses for a property even before you owned it!

The insurance industry is regulated by the states, and their privacy notice is mandated by the state's insurance commissioner. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners provides contact information at http://www.naic.org/state_web_map.htm. According to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, no state requires insurance companies to disclose the sharing of information with the CLUE database. Because CLUE falls outside the provisions of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act's notice requirements, the insurer does not have to tell you it shares your information with the CLUE database.

As with your credit report, you have the right to access your CLUE report and to dispute inaccurate or incomplete information. You are also entitled to notice about any adverse decisions based on information that CLUE has about you. For a copy of your CLUE report, write to: ChoicePoint (CLUE), 1000 Alderman Drive, Alpharetta, GA 30005; phone: 888- 497-0011, M-F 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. EST; or 866-312-8076; website is www.choicetrust.com. If you have been denied insurance, your policy has been canceled, your coverage has been limited, or your premiums have increased, you are entitled to a free copy of your report. Otherwise, there will be a charge. (Source: www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs26-CLUE.htm)

b) MIB - In April, 2003, HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) set a national standard for privacy of health information which applies only to medical records maintained by health care providers, health plans, and health clearinghouses if the facility maintains and transmits records in electronic form. Health related information that exists outside of health care facilities and the files of health plans does not fall under the HIPAA Privacy Rule.

Your medical information is maintained by MIB, the Medical Information Bureau, a central database shared by 600 insurance companies. When you apply for health insurance as an individual, you may be asked to provide information about your health and you may be required to be examined by a doctor and/or to undergo tests. An insurance company will report medical conditions to the MIB that they feel are significant. The MIB is not subject to HIPAA. The MIB file does not include your total medical record held by your health provider, but it consists of codes signifying certain health conditions. The record is nothing more than a "red flag" to alert an underwriter to look closer. The underwriter must make a determination of whether or not the condition is significant. The record is kept on file for seven (7) years.

You can obtain a copy for free once a year by calling (866) 692-6901 (TTY for the hearing impaired (866) 346-3642; or visit the MIB website at www.mib.com/html/request_your_record.html. You can also write to them at the Medical Information Bureau, P.O. Box 105, Essex Station, Boston MA 02112. (Taken from the following links: www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs8-med.htm, www.mib.com/html/request_your_record.html, and www.mib.com.)