As part of your application for life insurance, you authorize us to gather information about you from various sources—such as doctors, employers, other insurance companies and the Medical Information Bureau.

We may reserve the right to disclose such information about you to other parties involved in the insurance process, such as reinsurers, translators, financial representatives and medical consultants. We may report information to the Medical Information Bureau, as well. In addition, we may be required by law to disclose information, such as in response to a subpoena in a legal proceeding, or as required by a state insurance department.

You should also be aware that if you are to be insured under a policy in which another person is the applicant, the applicant might see information that you have put on the application. The application also becomes part of the policy when it is issued and delivered to the policyowner.

The Medical Information Bureau (MIB) is a non-profit organization made up of more than 750 insurance companies. Its purpose is to help prevent insurance fraud by providing a way for its members to exchange critical information about insurance applicants that is necessary for the fair appraisal of all applications.

Northwestern Mutual is a member of the MIB. Therefore, we are required to report any condition found in an individual that could significantly affect health or longevity. We also check for MIB records on all individuals who apply for insurance with Northwestern Mutual. We verify all information we receive from the MIB before action is taken.