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Why a Privacy Disclosure Form May be Important for You

Man in suit signs paperwork at a desk

If you’re calling a travel insurance company for a claim status or to make changes to a policy, you may be asked about a privacy disclosure form, PHI form, or a HIPAA release. What is it, and why is it necessary?

What is PHI?

PHI is protected health information, which is information protected by law that cannot be released to anyone except the patient without the patient’s consent. This affects things as simple as email addresses and as complex as medical records.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a law to protect patients’ privacy, to protect this PHI. Because all health plans must follow HIPAA regulations, we cannot release this information without a signed PHI disclosure form.

Where to find a PHI form

This PHI form is now included with most travel insurance plan documents and you can access the PHI form here>>

When you need a PHI form

  • If you want someone other than yourself to call us for a status on your claims. 
  • If you want someone other than yourself to make changes to your policy. 

When you don't need a PHI form

If you’re calling for your own information, you won’t need to complete this form. And you don’t need it to ask general questions or for questions about benefits.

What about children?

If your child is under 18 years of age, you do not need a PHI disclosure form to discuss their PHI information with us.

A one-time solution

If you prefer, while you are on the phone with us, you can give permission for us to talk with another person about your PHI (they must be on the phone too). We can accept this as a one-time authorization to provide the information, but only for that one call, not for the future. So, you may want to complete the form to make things easier.

All these rules are in place for your protection — we care about keeping your information safe and sound!

Contact our customer service team with any questions
Call us or chat with us online. We’re here to help!

Topics: Travel Insurance Advice

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