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Allowing Access to Your Private Health Information

Congress has passed a law: The CMS Interoperability and Patient Access Final Rule involving the health data for Medicare Advantage members. This law requires health insurance providers to enable you, as a Medicare Advantage member, to share your insurance records with a third party, such as an app. These insurance records may contain detailed personal information, including your health conditions, medical treatments and prescriptions you have received, and your genetic health risks.

It is important for you to understand that if you release your information to a third-party app, the app will have access to all of your health information. The app may not be subject to the HIPAA Rules and other privacy laws which generally protect your health information. If you choose to share your data with a third party through an app, Blue Cross cannot control how they will use or whether they will protect your personal health data.

What It Means to Share Your Data

If you request for Blue Cross to share your health data, everything in your private health records at Blue Cross will be available to the third party you’ve indicated. This may include highly sensitive information that could affect you and your family, such as:

  • Medications you have taken
  • Genetic conditions
  • Mental health conditions
  • Sexual health conditions

Once given access, the third party may choose how to use your information. After you share your data, Blue Cross won’t be able to prevent the third party from using it for any purpose, including sharing it with additional third parties without your knowledge or consent.

Your release of your private health information is final. If you choose to share your information, Blue Cross won’t be able to make the third party delete your information, place limits on its use, or reverse the transfer of your data, even if you change your mind.

Please think carefully before sharing your personal health information with a third party. Sometimes third parties might have written privacy policies. However, no matter what is written in these policies (even if they claim to follow industry best practices), Blue Cross cannot guarantee that third parties will abide by them. Blue Cross has no power to hold these third parties accountable for violating their own privacy policies.

How to Decide if Sharing Your Information Is Safe

Before choosing to share your health data with a third party company or app, you may want to ask yourself these questions:

  • Will they sell my data for any reason?
  • Will they share my data with other third parties for purposes such as advertising?
  • Will they collect non-health data from my device, such as my location?
  • Will there be any limits on what they can do with my data?
  • If I change my mind, can I cut off their access to my data?
  • Can I easily reach them if something goes wrong?
  • What is their policy for deleting my data after I cut off access?
  • If I delete the app or request, do they keep my data?
  • What security measures do they use to protect my data?
  • What impact could sharing my data with this company or app have on others, such as my family members?
  • How will they inform me of changes in their privacy practices?
  • How will they use my data, and for what purposes?
  • Will they allow me to access my data and correct inaccuracies?
  • Do they have a process for collecting and responding to user complaints?

Important Privacy Information

Covered Entities and HIPAA Enforcement

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules. Blue Cross is subject to HIPAA as are most health care providers, such as hospitals, doctors, clinics, and dentists. You can find more information about your rights under HIPAA and who is obligated to comply with HIPAA here: https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-individuals/index.html.

To learn more about filing a complaint with OCR related to HIPAA requirements, visit: https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/index.html. You may also file a complaint with Blue Cross by calling the number on your ID card.

Third Party Apps and Privacy Enforcement

An app not affiliated with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts may not be subject to HIPAA. An app that publishes a privacy notice is required to comply with the terms of its notice, but generally isn’t subject to other privacy laws. The Federal Trade Commission Act protects against deceptive acts (such as an app that discloses personal data in violation of its privacy notice). An app that violates the terms of its privacy notice is subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC provides information about mobile app privacy and security for consumers here: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0018-understanding-mobile-apps.

If you believe an App inappropriately used, disclosed, or sold your information, you should contact the FTC. You may file a complaint with the FTC using the FTC complaint assistant: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/

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ATTENTION: If you speak a language other than English, language assistance services are available to you free of charge. Call 1-800-200-4255(TTY: 711).

ATENCIÓN: Si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia con el idioma. Llame al número de Servicio al Cliente que figura en su tarjeta de identificación llamada 1-800-472-2689 (TTY: 711).

ATENÇÃO: Se fala português, são-lhe disponibilizados gratuitamente serviços de assistência de idiomas. Telefone para os Serviços aos Membros, através do número no seu cartão ID chamar 1-800-472-2689 (TTY: 711).

ATTENTION : si vous parlez français, des services d’assistance linguistique sont disponibles gratuitement. Appelez le Service adhérents au numéro indiqué sur votre carte d’assuré appel 1-800-472-2689  (TTY : 711).

注意:如果您讲中文,我们可向您免费提供语言协助服务。请拨打您 ID  卡上的号码联系会员服务部 通话 1-800-472-2689(TTY  号码:711)。

ATANSYON: Si ou pale kreyòl ayisyen, sèvis asistans nan lang disponib pou ou gratis. Rele nimewo Sèvis Manm nan ki sou kat Idantitifkasyon w lan (Sèvis pou Malantandan Rele 1-800-472-2689 TTY: 711).

LƯU .: Nếu quý vị n.i Tiếng Việt, c.c dịch vụ hỗ trợ ng.n ngữ được cung cấp cho quý vị miễn ph.. Gọi cho Dịch vụ Hội vi.n theo số tr.n thẻ ID của quý vị Cuộc gọi 1-800-472-2689 (TTY: 711).

ВНИМАНИЕ: если Вы говорите по-русски, Вы можете воспользоваться бесплатными услугами переводчика. Позвоните в отдел обслуживания клиентов по номеру, указанному в Вашей идентификационной карте вызов 1-800-472-2689 (телетайп: 711).

ការជូនដំណឹង៖ ប្រសិនប. ើអ្នកនិយាយភាសា ខ្មែរ សេ  វាជំនួយភាសាឥតគិតថ្លៃ គឺអាចរកបានសម្  រាប ់អ្នក។ សូមទូរស័ព្ទទ ៅផ ្នែ កសេ  វាសមា  ជិកតាមល េខន  ៅល.  ើប ័ណ្ណ សម្  គាល ់ខ្លួ ខ្លួ នរប ស់អ្នក ហៅ 1-800-472-2689 (TTY: 711) ។

ATTENZIONE: se parlate italiano, sono disponibili per voi servizi gratuiti di assistenza linguistica. Chiamate il Servizio per i membri al numero riportato sulla vostra scheda identificativa chiamata 1-800-472-2689 (TTY: 711).

참고 : 한국어를 사용하는 경우 언어 지원 서비스를 무료로 사용할 수 있습니다. 신분증에있는 전화 번호 1-800-472-2689 (TTY : 711)로 회원 서비스에 연락하십시오.

ΠΡΟΣΟΧΗ: Εάν μιλάτε Ελληνικά, διατίθενται για σας υπηρεσίες γλωσσικής βοήθειας, δωρεάν. Καλέστε την Υπηρεσία Εξυπηρέτησης Μελών στον αριθμό της κάρτας μέλους σας (ID Card) κλήση 1-800-472-2689 (TTY: 711).

UWAGA: Osoby posługujące się językiem polskim mogą bezpłatnie skorzystać z pomocy językowej. Należy zadzwonić do Działu obsługi ubezpieczonych pod numer podany na identyfikatorze zadzwoń 1-800-472-2689 (TTY: 711).

ध्यान दें: य दि  आप ह िन् दी बोलते ह ैं, तो भा षा  सहाय  ता  सेवा एँ, आप के लि ए नि :शुल्क  उपलब्ध ह ैं। सदस्य  सेवा ओं को आपके आई.डी. कार  ्ड पर दि ए गए नंबर पर कॉल करें  कॉल 1-800-472-2689 ( टी .टी .वा ई.: 711).

ધ્યાન આપો:  જો તમે ગુજરા તી બોલતા  હો, તો તમને ભા ષા કીય  સહાય  તા  સેવા ઓ વિ ના  મૂલ્યે  ઉપલબ્ધ છે. તમા રા  આઈડી કાર  ્ડ પર આપેલા  નંબર પર Member Service  ને કૉલ કરો કૉલ કરો 1-800-472-2689 (TTY: 711).

PAUNAWA: Kung nagsasalita ka ng wikang Tagalog, mayroon kang magagamit na mga libreng serbisyo para sa tulong sa wika. Tawagan ang Mga Serbisyo sa Miyembro sa numerong nasa iyong ID Card tumawag 1-800-472-2689 (TTY: 711).

お知らせ:日本語をお話しになる方は無料の言語アシスタンスサービスをご利用いただけます。ID カードに記載の電話番号を使用してメンバーサービスまでお電話ください 呼び出す 1-800-472-2689(TTY: 711)。

ACHTUNG: Wenn Sie Deutsche sprechen, steht Ihnen kostenlos fremdsprachliche Unterstützung zur Verfügung. Rufen Sie den Mitgliederdienst unter der Nummer auf Ihrer ID-Karte an Anrufen 1-800-472-2689 (TTY: 711).

ຂໍ້ຄວນໃສ່ໃຈ: ຖ້າເຈົ້າເວົ້າພາສາລາວໄດ້, ມີການບໍລິການຊ່ວຍເຫຼືອດ້ານພາສາໃຫ້ທ່ານໂດຍບໍ່ເສຍຄ່າ. ໂທ ຫາ ຝ່າຍບໍລິການສະ ມາ ຊິກທີ່ໝາຍເລກໂທລະສັບຢູ່ໃນບັດຂອງທ່ານ ໂທ 1-800-472-2689 (TTY: 711).

BAA !KOHWIINDZIN DOO&G&: Din4 k’ehj7 y1n7[t’i’go saad bee y1t’i’ 47 t’11j77k’e bee n7k1’a’doowo[go 47 n1’ahoot’i’. D77 bee an7tah7g7 ninaaltsoos bine’d44’ n0omba bik1’7g7ij8’ b44sh bee hod77lnih call 1-800-472-2689 (TTY: 711).

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