Personal Comp Member Handbook - CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield

ConfidentialityEffective April 14, 2003, all health plans and providersmust provide information to members and patientsregarding how their information is protected. You willreceive a Notice of Privacy Practices from CareFirst oryour Health Plan, and from your providers as well, whenyou visit their office.CareFirst has policies and procedures in place to protectthe confidentiality of member information. Yourconfidential information includes Protected HealthInformation (PHI) and other nonpublic financialinformation. Because we are responsible for yourinsurance coverage, making sure your claims are paid,and that you can obtain any important services relatedto your health care, we are permitted to use and discloseyour information. Sometimes we are required by lawto disclose your information in certain situations. Youalso have certain rights to your own protected healthinformation, and there are some requirements you willfollow to allow other people to obtain your informationon your behalf.We are required by law to maintain the privacy of yourPHI, and to have appropriate procedures in place todo so. In accordance with the federal and state Privacylaws, we have the right to use and disclose your PHIfor payment activities and health care operations asexplained in the Notice of Privacy Practices. This Noticeis sent to all policyholders upon enrollment.You have the following rights regarding your ownProtected Health Information. You have the right to:■ request that we restrict the PHI we use ordisclose about you for payment or healthcare operations;■ request that we communicate with youregarding your information in an alternativemanner or at an alternative location if youbelieve that a disclosure of all or part ofyour PHI may endanger you;■ inspect and copy your PHI that is containedin a “designated record set”; including yourmedical records;■ request that we amend your informationif you believe that your PHI is incorrect orincomplete; and■ request and receive an accounting of certaindisclosures of your PHI that are for reasonsother than treatment, payment, or healthcare operations.If you have a privacy-related inquiry, please contactMember Services at the phone number on yourmember ID card.28