Requesting Reports for Insurance Claims
NOTE: Form signed by next of kin must be notarized
Insurance companies may request a copy of an autopsy report (including toxicology) by providing our office with the following:
- Letter of request on letterhead, to include:
- Name of decedent
- Mailing address to send report
- Phone number of insurance company representative
- Fee of $20.00 to "Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner"
- Signed and notarized Release form from the legal next of kin
- The release form must be notarized.
- The legal next of kin may be someone other than the beneficiary; we must have a notarized release from the legal next of kin.
- We do not accept releases signed by executors or administrators unless the party is also the legal next of kin.
Please send all documentation together, in one parcel. Faxed paperwork cannot be accepted, as the fee must accompany the request.
Questions can be directed to our office via the "Contact Us" tab on this website.
Once a request is received, the Timeline is as follows:
- If the report has been finalized, it will be mailed to the insurance company within four weeks. Inquiries may be made after that amount of time has passed.
- If the report is not yet finalized, the request will be placed in the file and will be sent once the report is finalized. Reports can take up to twelve weeks from the date of death to be finalized.
Mail required documents to:
Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner
ATTN: Records Request
2250 South Ankeny Blvd.
Ankeny IA 50023-9093