What to do
Ask member services for the confidential communications process
Use that phrase. Insurers also call it a confidential communications request or an alternative mailing address request.
Submit the request in writing
State that you are requesting confidential communications, give the address, email, or portal you want used, and ask for written confirmation.
State that disclosure could endanger you
This is the operative move and it is a federal right, not a favor. Under 45 CFR 164.522(b)(1)(ii) a health plan must accommodate a reasonable request to receive communications by alternative means or at alternative locations IF the individual clearly states that disclosure could endanger them. A plan may require the request in writing and may require it to contain that statement, so include it. Note the asymmetry: under (b)(2)(iii) a health care PROVIDER may not require an explanation at all, while a plan may require the endangerment statement. You do not have to explain how or why.
Ask what the request does and does not cover
It may cover Explanation of Benefits mailings but not claim histories in the policyholder's portal account. Get the scope in writing.
Check the portal separately
A policyholder's online account may show dependents' claims regardless of where paper mail goes. This is the gap people discover after the fact.
Confirm it took effect before you use the benefit
Ask for written confirmation and, where possible, verify with a low-stakes claim first.
What this can and cannot do
A confidential communications request redirects the plan's communications with you. It does not hide the claim from the plan, from the employer's aggregate data, or necessarily from a policyholder's own online account. Ask specifically about the portal — paper and portal are governed separately by many insurers, and assuming otherwise is the common failure.
If you have heard your state is good on this
Some states are cited as early and favorable on confidential communications, and their specific statutes have not been confirmed from a primary source here, so none is cited. Ask your own insurance department what currently applies where you live. The practical steps above rest on the federal rule and do not depend on which state statute you have.
Common questions
- Do I have to explain why I want this?
- It varies. Some plans grant the request on request; some ask you to state that disclosure could put you at risk. Ask what your plan requires before offering details.
- Will this hide my claims from the policyholder's online account?
- Not necessarily. Portal access is often handled separately from mailings. Ask about it explicitly.
Where to go next
Sources for the legal points on this page
- Confidential communications: a plan must accommodate if you say disclosure could endanger you
Federal — HIPAA covered entities, including health plans · effective in force
45 CFR 164.522(b)(1)(ii) (health plan accommodation and the endangerment trigger); 164.522(b)(2)(i)-(ii) (a plan may require writing, and may condition on payment handling and an alternative address); 164.522(b)(2)(iii) (a provider may not require an explanation)
Status: settled · source-checked 2026-08-08 · primary source verified: 2026-08-08
Also on this page, without a citation yet
- What your specific plan and state will do with a confidential communications request. The federal floor is cited on this page; how quickly a plan acts, whether it applies the change to a portal as well as to post, and what a state adds are all unverified here and vary. Confirm it took effect before you rely on it.
These are specific and checkable and we have not yet checked them against a primary source. Treat them as a starting point rather than as settled, and do not put them in an appeal without confirming them.