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IAI Actuarial Core Principles · Business Management · Characteristics of a profession and the Actuaries' Code

Sunita, an actuary, is advising a client and finds that the client's data contains personal health information of policyholders. A friend at a research firm asks for a copy to build a mortality study, promising anonymous results. The client has not consented. What should Sunita do?

Sunita should refuse to share the data without the client's permission and proper legal authority. Client information is confidential under professional ethics unless the client consents or the law requires disclosure. A friend's promise, partial sharing or anonymous results do not justify releasing it.

  1. AShare it, because the results will be anonymous and useful to the profession
  2. BShare only half the data to limit the risk
  3. CRefuse to share it without the client's permission and applicable legal authority, since the information is confidentialCorrect
  4. DShare it after removing her own name from the file
  5. Share it if the friend signs an informal promise of secrecy

Explanation

Client information must be kept confidential unless the client consents or law requires disclosure. Good intentions, partial sharing, or informal promises do not replace consent, and the intended anonymity of results does not authorise release of the raw data.

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