Privacy Practices
Notice of Privacy Practices
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
Our Privacy Promise
We understand the importance of handling your medical information with care. We are committed to protecting the privacy of your medical information. State and federal laws require us to make sure that your medical information is kept private. Federal law requires that we provide you with this Notice of Privacy Practices, which describes our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to our use and disclosure of your medical information. We are required by law to follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect. This notice is effective January 1, 2014, and will remain in effect until it is changed or replaced.
Uses and Disclosures of Medical Information
Important Notice- The only medical information that we use or disclose is the Information given to us directly by our clients on a phone call or personal visit with our clients. This basic information we record is then given to various insurance companies to secure the best possible policy for our clients, based upon their age, sex, and health history, that is provided to us by our clients. Additional information secured by any of the insurance companies must be accessed directly from the insurance companies. We are not included in the medical information that they obtain.
Application for Life or Health Insurance
We may use and disclose your medical information to various insurance companies to attempt to secure insurance coverage for you, our client.
Payment:
We may use or disclose your medical information these and other entities related to payment:
Obtaining premiums
Issuing explanations of benefits to the named insured.
Providing information to insurance underwriters of various insurance companies or other
entities that are bound by the federal Privacy Rules for their payment activities.
Operations:
We may use or disclose your medical information in the normal course of the application process, including such activities as:
The taking of an application for insurance for the proposed insured.
Reviewing the health qualifications of the insured
Delivery of specific health information to the underwriting departments of various Insurance companies.
Providing information to another entity bound by the federal Privacy Rules for its Insurance operations, in limited circumstances.
You and Your Family and Friends
We may use and disclose your medical information to communicate with you for purposes of customer service or to provide you with information you request. We may disclose your medical information to a family member, friend or other person to the extent necessary for him or her to assist with your insurance plan or payment of your insurance plan. Before we disclose your medical information to that person, we will give you a chance to object to us doing so. If you are not available, or if you are incapacitated or in an emergency situation, we may, in the exercise of our professional judgment, determine whether the disclosure would be in your best interest. We may also use or disclose your medical information to notify (or help notify, including identifying and locating) a family member, a personal representative or other person responsible for your care of your location, general condition or death.
Disaster Relief
We may use or disclose your medical information to a public or private entity authorized by law or by its charter to assist in disaster relief efforts.
Public Benefit
We may use or disclose your medical information as authorized by law for the following purposes that are in the public interest or benefit:
As required by law.
For public health activities, including disease and vital statistics reporting, child abuse reporting, FDA oversight, and to employers regarding work related illness or injury.
To report adult abuse, neglect or domestic violence.
To health oversight agencies.
In response to court and administrative orders and other lawful processes.
To law enforcement officials in response to subpoenas and other lawful processes concerning crime victims, suspicious deaths, crimes on our premises, reporting crimes in emergencies and to identify or locate a suspect or other person.
To coroners, medical examiners and funeral directors.
To organ procurement organizations.
To avert a serious threat to health or safety.
In connection with certain research activities.
To the military and to federal officials for lawful intelligence, counterintelligence and national security activities.
To correctional institutions regarding inmates.
As authorized by state workers compensation laws.
Your Authorization
We may not use or disclose your medical information without your written authorization, except as described in this notice. You may give us written authorization, except as described in this notice. You may give us written authorization to use your medical information or to disclose it to anyone for any purpose. If you give us authorization, you may revoke it at any time by notifying us of your revocation in writing. Your revocation will not affect any use or disclosure permitted by the authorization while it was in effect. We need your written authorization to use or disclose psychotherapy notes, except in limited circumstances such as when a disclosure is required by law. We also must obtain your written authorization to sell your medical information to a third party or, in most circumstances, to send you communications about products and services. We do not need your written authorization, however, to send you communications about health related products or services, as long as the products or services are associated with your coverage or are offered by us.
Individual Rights
You have certain rights with respect to the medical information we maintain about you. To exercise any of these rights or to obtain more information about these rights (including any applicable fees), contact us using the information listed at the end of this notice.
Access
You have the right to inspect or receive a paper or electronic copy of the limited medical information we receive from you with some exceptions. To inspect or receive your medical information, you must submit the request in writing. If you request to receive a copy of the limited information we obtain directly from you, we are allowed to charge a reasonable, cost based fee.
Disclosure Accounting
You have the right to request, in writing, a record of instances in which we disclosed your medical information for purposes other than payment, underwriting approval, customer service, or policyholder operations with various insurance companies, and as allowed by law. We will provide you with a record of such disclosures for up to the previous six years. If you request a record of disclosures more than once in a 12-month period, we may charge you a reasonable, cost-based fee for each additional request.
Restriction
You have the right to request, in writing, that we place additional restrictions on our use or disclosure of your medical information. By law, we are not required to agree to these additional restrictions, but if we do, we will abide by our agreement (except in an emergency). Any agreement to additional restrictions will be made in writing and signed by a person authorized to make such an agreement for us.
Confidential Communications
You have the right to request, in writing, that we communicate with you about the limited medical information we received directly from you, by other means, or to another location. We are not required to agree to your request unless you state that you could be in danger if we do not communicate to you in confidence. In that case, we must accommodate your request if it is reasonable, if it specifies the other means or location, and if it permits us to continue to assist the collection of premiums, and maintain coverage on your insurance plan. We will not be bound to your request unless our agreement is in writing. Even if we agree to communicate with you in confidence, an explanation of benefits issued to the named insured for health or life services received might contain sufficient information (such as deductible and out-of –pocket amounts) to reveal that you obtained services which were paid for by the insurance company your plan is written with.
Amendment
You have the right to request, in writing, that we amend your medical information. Your request must be directly to the insurance company that has written your policy. Your request must explain why the insurance company should amend the information. We may also deny your request, because we did not create the limited information, that we received directly from our client, or deny your request for certain other reasons. If we deny your request, we will send you a written explanation.
Notice of Breach
We are required to notify affected individuals following a breach of unsecured medical information.
Electronic Notice
You may request a written copy of this notice at any time or download it from our website
Questions and Complaints
If you want more information about our privacy practices, or if you have questions or concerns, please contact us using the information below.
Contact Information
Attn: Thomas F Gordon, Privacy Officer
5473 North Hwy 14
Landrum, SC 29356
888-288-8512(telephone)
800-680-2975 (fax)