Doctors not obliged to give patient history to insurers

Doctors have no obligation to release a patient's full medical history to insurance companies, the Privacy Commissioner has ruled.

The New Zealand Medical Association asked for the commissioner's view as general practitioners were concerned about insurers' requests for full patient history notes.

Commissioner Marie Shroff has ruled that doctors only have to hand over information directly relevant to the insurance decision.

"Medical practitioners should expect that the first request from an insurer will be of a more limited nature, such as questions about specific conditions," the association's GP chairman, Mark Peterson.

"In some cases insurers may follow up by requesting more detailed information on a patient's full notes for a specified period but both the insurer and the doctor will need to ensure that they have the patient's permission to release additional information."

Patients also have the right to view their medical notes before deciding to authorise their disclosure.

Ms Shroff said there should only be rare occasions where a patient's full notes are needed by an insurance company.

- NZPA