The address data of people living in Chicago is a factor determining the scale of their health insurance premiums, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Research from Norvax, a company based in Chicago that provides technology to help health insurance companies make sales, found that ZIP Code verification plays a part in deciding premiums as residents in suburban parts of Chicago tend to pay less than people in the city.
Suburbs in the south and west of the city can pay up to 25 per cent less than people living in the city centre, although Norvax says this can be partly explained by the differing costs of healthcare in different parts of the city.
In related medical news, ZocDoc.com is making use of ZIP Code software to help people in Washington, DC, find appointments with local doctors and dentists by accessing their details online through a ZIP Code search, according to a report from the Washington Post.
The paper reports a similar service has been provided by the website in the New York area for two years.