Important Announcements and Updates
The Pennsylvania Insurance Department (PID) issued an approving Determination and Order that approved the corporate affiliation between the West Penn Allegheny Health System and Highmark Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates, which preceded the creation of the Allegheny Health Network. As a condition of the PID order, Highmark Health has adopted the Competitively Sensitive Information (CSI) Policy throughout Highmark Health to protect CSI against inappropriate access, use, or disclosure among members of the Highmark Health workforce.
Federal regulations require us to provide you with a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Notice of Privacy Practices. The Notice explains how your protected health information (PHI) may be used or disclosed. It also explains your rights to this information under the law. This Notice of Privacy Practices also includes our Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) Notice and explains how we use and share your non-public personal information to administer our benefit programs effectively. Please review the Notice carefully.
This policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and secure your personal information when you access and interact with our websites, mobile applications, and related digital assets. This policy does not apply to Protected Health Information. Notices governing Highmark’s processing of Protected Health Information are available within our Notice of Privacy Practices.
Highmark Inc. participates in an organized health care arrangement (“OHCA”), as permitted by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”), with Allegheny Health Network, an affiliated entity under common ownership and control with Highmark Inc. An OHCA is a framework that allows health plan covered entities affiliated with Highmark Inc. and provider covered entities affiliated with Allegheny Health Network to share protected health information about members or patients for joint healthcare operations of the OHCA. HIPAA recognizes the following categories of joint purposes for which identifiable information can be shared among OHCA participants: quality assessment and improvement, utilization review, and related activities.
The following statement describes Highmark Health’s processing of Personal Data in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation governing personal data collected from individuals in the European Union (EU).
Various states have enacted consumer privacy laws that grant their residents certain rights and require additional disclosures. In addition to our Digital Privacy Policy and Notice of Privacy Practices, this Notice addresses these state specific requirements and also services as our California notice at collection.
Notice at Collection and U.S. Multi-State Privacy Notice:
New York Insurance Law, section 2612, prohibits insurers from discriminating against victims of domestic violence and, in certain circumstances, prohibits the disclosure of victims’ contact information.
If we receive a valid order of protection from a victim of domestic violence against the policyholder of the policy, or against another person covered under the same group policy, we will not disclose certain information including:
Any individual who could be endangered by the disclosure of health claim related information may request to receive communications of claim related information by alternative means or at alternative locations. The covered individual must clearly state that disclosure of the information could endanger the individual. If a child is the covered individual, then the rights established by this law may be asserted by the child’s parent or guardian.
To submit a Confidential Communication Request, please submit a Request for Confidential Communications or contact the Member Services toll free number on your Member ID card.
For more information on domestic violence services, victims can contact the New York State Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline.
NYS Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline: 1‐800‐942‐6906
Spanish language: 1‐800‐942‐6908
In NYC: 1‐800‐621‐HOPE (4673) or dial 311
TTY: 1‐866‐604‐5350
We may take part in certain Health Information Exchanges (HIE), which may be an opt-in or an opt-out model. An HIE is a secure electronic data sharing network which allows doctors, hospitals, and insurers to share health information electronically for the purpose of treatment, payment, and healthcare operations.
You have the right to opt-out or decline to participate in the HIEs. If you would like more information about the exchanges we participate in and how you can exercise your rights, you may contact the HIE directly at the following links:
Authorizations to Disclose Health Information (ADHI): Use the ADHI form to grant Highmark and its subsidiaries and affiliates permission to share your information with trusted individual(s) that you choose.
Revocation of Authorization to Disclose PHI: You may request that we terminate previously granted permission for Highmark to release or disclose a member’s protected health information to other individuals.
Request for Access: If you would like to view or receive a copy of your Highmark maintained protected health information, please submit a request for access.
Request for Accounting of Disclosures: You may request a list of disclosures Highmark made of a member’s protected health information. Disclosures made for payment and health plan operations are excluded from this process.
Request for Restriction: Use this form to request limits or restrictions on disclosures of protected health information to others such as a family member, friend, spouse, doctor, or any other party.
Request for Amendment: You may use this form to request a correction to Highmark created protected health information that you believe is inaccurate or incomplete.
Request for Confidential Communications: Use this form to request that Highmark communicate protected health information in a different way during life-threatening situations. Examples of alternate communications could include telephone, mail, e-mail, or a different address.
The use of websites maintained by Highmark Inc., and/or by its subsidiaries or affiliates are subject to certain terms and conditions. We encourage you to read our Terms of Service for detailed information regarding your rights and responsibilities as a user.
By engaging with our chat assistant or live chatting with an agent, you are agreeing to virtually share personal information with Highmark or a duly authorized third party, as applicable. This chat session may be monitored or recorded for, among others, training, quality assurance, user experience, product development, and other purposes permitted by applicable law. The chat transcript as well as any documents that are shared/uploaded during the chat session are maintained in accordance with our record retention program and applicable law. By accessing and using our chat services, you i) acknowledge your understanding and acceptance of, without limitation or qualification, our Terms of Use and similar or related terms and conditions, including but not limited to our online privacy policy, and ii) expressly consent to the collection, monitoring, use, and sharing of your personal information in accordance with the aforementioned Terms of Use and similar or related terms and conditions, as well as applicable law.
If you would like more information about our privacy practices or are concerned that we may have violated your privacy rights, you can contact us using the following information:
Privacy Operations
120 Fifth Avenue Place, Suite 2114
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Toll free: 1-800-985-2050
Email:
HighmarkHealthPrivacy@highmarkhealth.org
