This HIPAA Privacy Notice is effective as of January 18, 2021.
LAST UPDATE: 01/19/2021
1. Statement of Our Duties
We are committed to protecting the privacy of your protected health information (PHI). PHI is your individually identifiable health information, including demographic information, collected from you or created or received by a health care provider, a health plan, your employer, or health care clearinghouse which is then provided to us and that relates to: (i) your past, present or future physical or mental health or condition; (ii) the provision of health care to you; or (iii) the past, present or future payment for the provision of health care to you. We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your PHI and to provide you with this notice of our privacy practices and legal duties. We are required to abide by the terms of this notice.
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THE TERMS OF THIS NOTICE AND MAKE ANY NEW PROVISIONS EFFECTIVE TO ALL OF THE PHI WE MAINTAIN ABOUT YOU. IF WE CHANGE OUR NOTICE, WE WILL POST IT ON OUR WEBSITE AND SEND YOU A COPY IN OUR ANNUAL MAILING, OR YOU MAY OBTAIN A COPY OF THE REVISED NOTICE BY CONTACTING OUR PRIVACY COORDINATOR USING THE INFORMATION IN PARAGRAPH 9.
2. Statement of Your Rights
You have a right to know how we may use or disclose your PHI. This notice informs you of those uses and disclosures. There are certain uses and disclosures of your PHI that we are permitted or required to make by law without your permission. For all other uses and disclosures, we first must obtain your permission or written authorization. In addition, you have the following rights:
- The right to request, in writing, that we place additional restrictions on our uses and disclosures of your PHI. However, we are not obligated to agree to impose any such additional restrictions.
- The right to access, inspect and copy the protected information pertaining to you that we maintain in our files about you, and the right to have us correct or amend any information that we create in error. Requests to access or amend your PHI must be made in writing and sent to the contact person and address provided in paragraph 9.
- The right to receive an accounting of the disclosures of your PHI that we make for purposes other than activities related to your treatment, or our payment functions or other health care operations. You must request an accounting in writing by contacting us at the address in paragraph 9. Your request may be for disclosures made up to 6 years before the date of your request, but in no event, for disclosures made before April 14, 2003.
- The right to request, in writing, that you receive communications about your PHI in a confidential manner, for example, by alternative means or an alternative location, such as your work address or work email.
- The right to request an amendment to your PHI if you believe that your PHI is incorrect or incomplete. Your request must be in writing and explain why the PHI should be amended.
- The right to obtain a paper copy of this notice from us on request.
3. Information We Collect About You
In order to administer your health benefit programs effectively, we collect the following categories of PHI about you from the following sources:
- PHI that we obtain directly from you, in conversations or on applications or other forms that you fill out.
- PHI that we obtain as a result of our transactions with you.
- PHI that we obtain from your medical records or from medical professionals, which is provided by you or to us with your permission.
- PHI that we obtain from other entities, such as health care providers or other insurance companies, in order to service your policy or carry out other insurance-related needs.
4. Uses and Disclosures of Protected Information
A. For Treatment, Payment and Operations.
In order to administer your health benefit programs effectively, we use and disclose PHI for certain of our activities, including:
- To Carry Out Treatment Functions. We may use or disclose your PHI without your permission to enable health care providers to provide you with treatment.
- To Carry Out Payment Functions. We may use or disclose your PHI without your permission to carry out activities relating to reimbursing you for the provision of health care, obtaining premiums, determining coverage, and providing benefits under the policy of insurance that you are purchasing, such as enabling a health care provider to make payment arrangements. Such functions may include reviewing health care services with respect to medical necessity, coverage under the policy, appropriateness of care, or justification of charges.
- To Carry Out Certain Operations Relating To Your Benefit Plan. We also may use or disclose your PHI without your permission to carry out certain limited activities relating to your health insurance benefits, including reviewing the competence or qualifications of health care professionals, placing contracts for stop-loss insurance and conducting quality assessment activities.
- To facilitate the underwriting of insurance; however, we are prohibited from using or disclosing your genetic information for the purpose of underwriting insurance.
B. Uses and Disclosures of PHI to Other Entities.
We also may use and disclose PHI to other covered entities, business associates or other individuals (as permitted by the HIPAA Privacy rule) who assist us in administering your benefit plan and delivering services to its members. In connection with our payment and operations activities, we may contact individuals and other entities (“Business Associates”) to perform various functions on our behalf or to provide certain types of services (such as enrollment or member service support). To perform these functions, Business Associates must agree in writing to contract terms designed to appropriately safeguard your PHI.
C. Other Possible Uses and Disclosures of PHI
We may use and disclose your PHI without your written permission for the following purposes:
- To plan sponsors of your group health plan to permit the plan sponsor to perform administrative functions, such as to address member questions, concerns or issue regarding claims, benefits, services, coverage, etc., and summary health information about enrollees in the plan to obtain premium bids for health insurance coverage offered through the group health plan or to modify, amend or terminate your group plan.
- To the extent that federal or state law requires the use or disclosure, such as to Health and Human services upon request for purposes of determining compliance with federal privacy laws, as required by law enforcement officials or pursuant to a court order or subpoena.
- As authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with workers’ compensation or other similar programs that provide benefits for work-related injuries or illnesses.
- As authorized by law and to the extent necessary to service insurance policies and benefits that are exempt benefits, such as in connection with servicing life, disability, property and casualty, accident and sickness, workers’ compensation and auto insurance or other similar insurance coverage under which benefits for medical care are secondary or incidental to other insurance benefits.
- To a public health authority for purposes of public health activities as permitted or required by law.
- To a coroner/medical examiner for purposes of identifying a deceased person, determining cause of death or for such official to perform other duties authorized by law. Also to funeral directors so they may carry out their duties, and to organizations that handle organ, eye or tissue donation or transplantation.
- To a government authority, including a social service or protective services agency, authorized to receive reports of abuse, neglect or domestic violence or to prevent a serious threat to the health or safety of the public.
D. For Any Purposes to Which You Have Not Objected.
Unless you object, we may disclose your PHI to a friend or family member that you have identified as being involved in your health care. We also may disclose your PHI to an entity to assist in disaster relief efforts and so that your family can be notified about your condition, status and location. If you are not present or able to agree to these disclosures of your PHI, then we may determine whether the disclosure is in your best interest.
E. As Permitted By Plan Documents.
In certain limited circumstances where we may be acting as a third party administrator, we may disclose your PHI to plan sponsors pursuant to the restrictions imposed on the plan sponsor in the sponsor’s plan documents.
5. Required Disclosures of Your PHI
We are required to disclose your PHI to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services when the Secretary is investigating or determining compliance with the HIPAA Privacy Rule. We are required to disclose to you most of your PHI that is in a “designated record set” when you request access to this information. We are also required to provide, upon written request, an accounting of any disclosures of PHI that are for reasons other than payment or health benefits operations.
6. Other Uses and Disclosures of Your PHI
Sometimes we are required to obtain written authorization for use and disclosure of your health information. The uses and disclosures that require an authorization under 45 C.F.R. §164.508(a) are: (i) for marketing purposes; (ii) if we intend to sell your PHI; or (iii) for psychotherapy notes. We do not and will not sell or share your PHI with any non-affiliated third party for any purpose unless you authorize it or it is otherwise permitted by law. Other uses and disclosures of your PHI that are not described above will be made only with your written, permission, and any permission that you give us may be revoked by you at any time. However, the revocation will not be effective for information that we already have used or disclosed, relying on the authorization..
7. Questions and Complaints About Use of PHI
If you want more information about our privacy policies or practices or have any questions or concerns, please contact us using the information in paragraph 9. You may submit a written complaint either directly to us or to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) if you believe that your rights with respect to our protection of your PHI have been violated. We will provide you with the address to file your complaint with HHS upon request. To file a complaint with us, you may submit a complaint in writing that includes as many details (such as names and dates) as possible to our Privacy Officer at the address in Paragraph 9. We support your right to protect the privacy of your PHI. You will not be retaliated against in any way for filing a complaint.
8. Our Practices Regarding Confidentiality and Security
We restrict access to PHI about you to those employees who need to know that information in order to provide products or services to you. We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal regulations to guard your PHI. We do not engage in fundraising activities using PHI, however, if we did engage in such activity, then you would have the opportunity to opt out of receiving fundraising communications. Subject to applicable regulatory reporting requirements, exceptions and safe harbors, we will notify affected individuals following a breach of their unsecured PHI.
9. Contact Person For Filing Complaint or Obtaining Further Information
GLATFELTER INSURANCE GROUP
ATTN: PRIVACY COORDINATOR / LEGAL DEPARTMENT
183 Leader Heights Road,
P.O. Box 2726, York, PA 17405
YORK, PENNSYLVANIA 17405
(717) 741-0911
www.glatfelters.com/privacy-policy
Our Policy Regarding Dispute Resolution
Any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to our privacy policy, or the breach thereof, shall be settled by arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, and judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrator(s) may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof.
Glatfelter Insurance Group Family of Companies
This Notice is being provided on behalf of the following Glatfelter Insurance Group affiliates:
Arthur J. Glatfelter Agency, Inc.
Glatfelter Brokerage Services
Glatfelter Claims Management, Inc.
Glatfelter Commercial Ambulance
Glatfelter Healthcare Practice
Glatfelter Insurance Services
Glatfelter Program Managers
Glatfelter Public Practice
Glatfelter Religious Practice
Glatfelter Underwriting Services, Inc.
Susquehanna Agents Alliance, LLC
The Glatfelter Agency, Inc.
VFIS
Volunteer Firemen’s Insurance Services, Inc.
Changes to this HIPAA Notice
We may change or update this HIPAA Notice from time to time. When we do, we will post the revised HIPAA Notice on this page with a new "Last Updated" date.
