Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 175I, sec. 6 — MA Code / Part I / Title XXII / Chapter 175I / Section 6
Disclosure authorization form; contents
Status: in_force

Section 6. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, no insurance institution, insurance representative or insurance-support organization may utilize as its disclosure authorization form in connection with insurance transactions a form or statement which authorizes the disclosure of personal or privileged information about an individual to the insurance institution, insurance representative or insurance-support organization unless the form or statement: (1) is written in plain language; (2) is dated; (3) specifies the types of persons authorized to disclose information about the individual; (4) specifies the nature of the information authorized to be disclosed; (5) names the insurance institution or insurance representative and identifies by generic reference the representative of the insurance institution to whom the individual is authorizing information to be disclosed; (6) specifies the purposes for which the information is collected; (7) specifies the length of time such authorization shall remain valid, which shall be no longer than: (A) in the case of authorizations signed for the purpose of collecting information in connection with an application for an insurance policy, a policy reinstatement or a request for change in policy benefits, thirty months from the date the authorization is signed; or (B) in the case of authorizations signed for the purpose of collecting information in connection with a claim for benefits under an insurance policy: (i) the term of coverage of the policy if the claim is for a health insurance benefit; or (ii) the duration of the claim if the claim is not for a health insurance benefit; and (8) advises the individual or a person authorized to act on behalf of such individual that such individual or the individual's authorized representative is entitled to receive a copy of the authorization form.

Section 6. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, no insurance institution, insurance representative or insurance-support organization may utilize as its disclosure authorization form in connection with insurance transactions a form or statement which authorizes the disclosure of personal or privileged information about an individual to the insurance institution, insurance representative or insurance-support organization unless the form or statement:

(1) is written in plain language;

(2) is dated;

(3) specifies the types of persons authorized to disclose information about the individual;

(4) specifies the nature of the information authorized to be disclosed;

(5) names the insurance institution or insurance representative and identifies by generic reference the representative of the insurance institution to whom the individual is authorizing information to be disclosed;

(6) specifies the purposes for which the information is collected;

(7) specifies the length of time such authorization shall remain valid, which shall be no longer than:

(A) in the case of authorizations signed for the purpose of collecting information in connection with an application for an insurance policy, a policy reinstatement or a request for change in policy benefits, thirty months from the date the authorization is signed; or

(B) in the case of authorizations signed for the purpose of collecting information in connection with a claim for benefits under an insurance policy:

(i) the term of coverage of the policy if the claim is for a health insurance benefit; or

(ii) the duration of the claim if the claim is not for a health insurance benefit; and

(8) advises the individual or a person authorized to act on behalf of such individual that such individual or the individual's authorized representative is entitled to receive a copy of the authorization form.