On a family insurance plan? What you need to know about privacy
MIT Health will not share information about your health or the care you receive without your permission.
But if you use insurance coverage through a parent, guardian, or spouse, that person could learn about certain healthcare visits, medical care, or lab tests — even if you want to keep that care private.
Why this can happen
When you get care that is not included with tuition, like lab tests or other billable services, MIT Health must send information to your insurance company so they can process the claim.
After processing the claim, the insurance company will send a notice to the person who holds the health insurance policy. This notice is called an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) or a Summary of Payment (SOP).
The EOB or SOP may show:
that you received care
the date you received care
the type of care or test you received
Other billing-related details.
How to help protect your privacy
You can ask your insurance plan to send EOBs and SOPs for your care to a different address or by a different delivery method — such as email instead of paper mail.
If your insurer is based in Massachusetts, they must follow the PATCH (Protecting Access to Confidential Health Care) Act, a law that helps protect patient privacy when multiple people are covered by the same insurance plan.
If your insurer is based outside of Massachusetts, they are subject to the HIPAA Privacy Rule (45 CFR §164.522), which allows you to request changes in how EOBs and SOPs are sent if sending them to the policyholder could “endanger” you.
What to do
To request changes in the way insurance notices are sent:
Call the number on the back of your insurance card.
Tell the customer service agent your name and policy number.
Explain your request clearly. Tell them that you are covered under a parent’s, spouse’s, or guardian’s health insurance plan and that you want to change how EOBs or SOPs are sent.
If the insurer is based in Massachusetts, say you are making the request under the Massachusetts PATCH Act.
If your insurance company is based in another state, you may need to say that the disclosure of your health information could “endanger” you.
Tell them what you want changed. For example, you can request a different mailing address, email instead of paper, or another confidential delivery option. Be prepared to provide the request in writing if asked to do so.
Ask whether anything else is required for them to complete the request.
Request confirmation that the change has been processed.
If I am on my parent’s insurance plan, could that also affect the confidentiality of my care?
No. Office visits and laboratory test results are never shared with others without your consent. Your visits to MIT Health and the information you share with our providers are confidential. That means that every part of every visit is kept private. Unless you give us permission, we won’t share any of your health information with your parents, professors, advisors, or friends.
Exceptions to this policy would be life-threatening situations or if you are under the age of 18.
What if I want my parents to be involved in my healthcare? What if I don’t?
If you do want your parents to be involved in your care at some point, just tell us. Speak with your provider directly and give them permission to speak with your parents about that specific issue. You can only give permission for a specific episode of care — it’s not blanket permission to discuss any of your other visits or medical issues. This permission expires when the specific episode of care is resolved or in six months if the concern is ongoing. If you want your parents involved again, you’ll need to provide permission again.