HealthPlanMed® Privacy Practices and Notices

The privacy and confidentiality of both our clients and prospective clients is of the utmost importance to us. This webpage details the full explanation of how HealthPlanMed® protects all non-public information.

To provide the best service possible for our clients and ensure compliance with all government regulations and essential carrier requirements, it is necessary for HealthPlanMed® (RM) to collect personal information. The privacy and confidentiality of both our clients and prospective clients is of the utmost importance to us. In servicing our clients, we obtain certain nonpublic personal information, such as information provided in applications, enrollment forms, scheduling requests, and customer support efforts, as well as information we may receive from insurance companies and other outside parties. This information may include individual health information such as current or historical physical, mental, or behavioral health conditions and/or diagnoses as well as other personal data.

RM does not disclose any personal information except as permitted or required by law. RM requires all third parties involved in administering or providing services for RM, its clients, potential clients, and partners to operate by these same guidelines.

RM is committed to maintaining physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to ensure the protection and confidentiality of all non-public personal information. Employee access and use of this information is strictly limited to RM business purposes. RM regularly performs background checks on all employees and prospective employees. All RM employees are required to fully accept all terms and conditions of the RM Privacy Policy as a condition of employment. The RM Compliance Team conducts ongoing training updates and communications for all employees in this regard.

 

HIPAA NOTICE: THIS PORTION OF THE NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW RM PROTECTS MEDICAL INFORMATION

HealthPlanMed® is required by law to maintain the privacy of protected health information and to provide individuals with notice of its legal duties and privacy practices with respect to protected health information. The purpose of this notice is to give you that information.

You are receiving this privacy notice because you are using RM to help you select a Medicare Supplement, Medicare Advantage or Part D Prescription Drug plan. As a result, you may provide RM protected health information.

In connection with providing consulting services to you, RM may receive and maintain medical and other information about you. RM may work with various insurance companies and other service providers to assist RM. These insurance companies are called “covered entities” and the other service providers and called “business associates.” RM required that the “covered entities” and “business associates” agree to comply with the privacy laws regarding your protected health information.

 

HOW HealthPlanMed® USES YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION:

Disclosure required by law: RM must disclose protected health information to law enforcement officials as required by a legal proceeding such as a court or administrative order or subpoena or is other required, by statute, to disclose the protected health information

To Family Members: RM may require a verbal or written authorization before disclosing protected health information to a spouse, parent, or child in connection with inquiries about plan benefits and claims payment. RM may disclose protected health information to a family member, friend, or other person for the purpose of helping you with your payment of your health care if you are in a situation such as a medical emergency and you are not able to give or withhold consent for RM to do this.

Other Uses: RM may also use and disclose your medical information to “covered entities” and “business associates” to determine what coverage may best suit your needs and to process an application for coverage.

You Must Authorize Other Uses: RM will not use or disclose your protected health information for any other purpose unless you give RM written authorization to do so. If you give written authorization, it must state the specific use you are authorizing. In most cases you may revoke your authorization in writing at any time. Your revocation will not be effective to the extent that RM has already taken action in reliance on your authorization. In no event will RM sell your protected health information to any third party. Additionally, RM will not use your protected health information for marketing purposes without your prior written consent.

Individual Rights to See and Amend and Other Rights Regarding Health Information:

The law gives you certain rights regarding your protected health information used or maintained by RM as follows: 

  • You have the right to see and get copies of your protected health information, with limited exceptions. RM reserves the right to impose a reasonable charge for repeat disclosures or numerous disclosure requests within one year.
  • You have the right to ask that RM communicate with you in another way to keep your protected health information confidential. You can ask RM to communicate by a different means or at a different location than RM normally uses. RM does not have to agree to your request unless such confidential communications are necessary to avoid endangering you.
  • You may request a correction to your protected health information. RM will determine whether it is appropriate to correct your information in a particular circumstance.
  • You may request an accounting of disclosures of your medical information by RM for the last six years. This accounting will not include disclosures to you, disclosures pursuant to your authorization, or disclosures for disaster relief, national security, or intelligence purposes.
  • You may request a paper copy of this notice if you received this notice by e-mail or on the Internet.

 

If you want to exercise any of the above rights, contact the Privacy Official of RM as described below.

Complaints: You have the right to complain to RM Privacy Official at the address listed at the end of this notice or to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services if you believe that your rights regarding the privacy of your protected health information have been violated. You may file a complaint with RM’s Information and Complaint Official (below). You will not be retaliated against if you choose to file a complaint with RM or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

You may also file a complaint with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. You may file the complaint electronically at the following website: [email protected].

You may file a written complaint. The address where you should mail the complaint is based upon where you reside. The following is a list of those addresses: 

 

Region I – Boston (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont)

Peter Chan, Regional Manager

Office for Civil Rights

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Government Center

J.F. Kennedy Federal Building – Room 1875

Boston, MA 02203

Voice phone 800.368.1019

FAX 617.565.3809

TDD 800.537.7697

 

Region II – New York (New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands)

Linda Colon, Regional Manager

Office for Civil Rights

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Jacob Javits Federal Building

26 Federal Plaza – Suite 3312

New York, NY 10278

Voice Phone 800.368.1019

FAX 212.264.3039

TDD 800.537.7697

 

Region III – Philadelphia (Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia)

Barbara Holland, Regional Manager

Office of Civil Rights

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

150 S. Independence mall West

Suite 372, Public Ledger Building

Philadelphia, PA 19106-9111

Main Line 800.368.1019

FAX 215.861.4431

TDD 800.537.7697 

 

Region IV – Atlanta (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee)

Roosevelt Freeman, Regional Manager

Office for Civil Rights

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center, Suite 16T70

61 Forsyth Street, S.W.

Atlanta, GA 30303-8909

Voice Phone 800.368.1019

FAX 404.562.7881

TDD 800.537.7697

 

Region V – Chicago (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin)

Celeste Davis, Regional Manager

Office for Civil Rights

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

233 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 240

Chicago, IL 60601

Voice Phone 800.368.1019

FAX 312.866.1807

TDD 800.537.7697

 

Region VI – Dallas (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas)

Jorge Lozano, Regional Manager

Office for Civil Rights

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

1301 Young Street, Suite 1169

Dallas, TX 75202

Voice Phone 800.368.1019

FAX 214.767.0432

TDD 800.537.7697 

 

Region VII – Kansas City (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska)

Frank Campbell, Regional Manager

Office for Civil Rights

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

601 East 12th Street – Room 353

Kansas City, MO 64106

Voice Phone 800.368.1019

FAX 816.426.3686

TDD 800.537.7697

 

Region VIII – Denver (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, Utah, Wyoming)

Velveta Howell, Regional Manager

Office for Civil Rights

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

999 18th Street, Suite 417

Denver, CO 80202

Voice Phone 800.368.1019

FAX 303.844.2025

TDD 800.537.7697

 

Region IX – San Francisco (American Samoa, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada)

Michal Leoz, Regional Manager

Office for Civil Rights

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

90 7th Street, Suite 4-100

San Francisco, CA 94103

Voice Phone 800.368.1019

FAX 415.437.8329

TDD 800.537.7697 

 

Region X – Seattle (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington)

Linda Yuu Connor, Regional Manager

Office for Civil Rights

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

2201 Sixth Avenue – M/S: RX-11

Seattle, WA 98121-1831

Voice Phone 800.368.1019

FAX 206.615.2297

TDD 800.537.7697

Interpretation: This portion of the notice is intended to comply with the privacy provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). It is not intended to give individuals any greater rights than they have under HIPAA and it is not intended to give RM, employers or business associates any greater obligations than they have under HIPAA and it shall be interpreted accordingly.

 

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER PROTECTION: THIS PORTION OF THE NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW RM PROTECTS SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS

It is RM’s policy to protect the confidentiality of Social Security Numbers (SSNs) that RM receives or collects in the course of business. RM will secure the confidentiality of SSNs through various means including physical, electronic, and administrative safeguards that are designed to protect against unauthorized access. It is RM’s policy to limit access to SSNs to that which is lawful and to prohibit unlawful disclosure of SSNs.

 

GRAMM-LEACH-BAILEY ACT: THIS PORTION OF THE NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW RM COMPLIES WITH THE GRAMM-LEACH-BAILEY ACT

The Gramm-Leach-Bailey Act (GLBA), generally prohibits RM from sharing non-public personal information about you with a third party unless RM provides you with this notice of RM’s privacy policies and practices describing the type of information that RM collects about you and the categories of persons or entities to who that information may be disclosed. In compliance with the GLBA, RM is providing you with this document which notifies you of the privacy rules under GLBA and the information RM collects:

  • Categories of Information Collected and Sources From Which RM Collects It: RM collects non-public personal information about you and from your application forms and questionnaires you complete and return to RM.
  • Persons From Whom Information is Collected: RM may collect non-public personal information from entities and individuals other than those seeking coverage.
  • Information RM May Disclose to Third Parties: In the course of RM’s general business practices, RM may disclose the information that RM collects (as described above) about you or others without your permission to various licensed insurance carriers.

 

WEBPAGE AND GENERAL E-MAIL COMMUNICATIONS: THIS PORTION OF THE NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW RM USES WEBPAGE AND E-MAIL COMMUNICATIONS

RM uses several physical security (such as locks and alarm systems), electronic security (such as passwords and encryption methods), and procedural security methods (such as rules regarding the handling and use of information) designed to protect the security and integrity of information submitted through the RM website. However, due to the nature of the Internet and online communications, RM cannot guarantee that any information transmitted online will remain absolutely confidential and we are not liable for the illegal acts of third parties such as criminal hackers.

Most e-mail, including any e-mail functionality on the RM site, does not provide a completely secure and confidential means of communication. It is possible that your e-mail communication may be accessed or viewed inappropriately by another internet user while in transit to RM. If you wish to keep your information completely private, you should not use e-mail.

RM PRIVACY, INFORMATION, AND COMPLAINT OFFICIAL:

For more information about RM’s privacy practices or to take advantage of your rights as described in this notice, contact:

Kevin O’Bryan

RM, Privacy Officer

9080 Springboro Pike Suite 100

Miamisburg, OH 45342

Telephone 877.222.1942

Effective Date of This Notice: This notice is effective April 1, 2014. RM will comply with the provisions in this notice until it is changed. RM reserves the right to change the provisions of this notice at any time. If RM makes changes to this notice, RM will send the changed notice to all participants covered by RM at that time. RM may make the changes that apply to all protected health information it maintains, even that obtained before the effective date of the new notice.