PRIVACY PRACTICES OF GOLDEN WEST HEALTH PLAN

Your Privacy is Important to Us

Protecting the privacy and confidentiality of information about our customers is very important to Golden West Health Plan. This notice will help you understand what types of nonpublic personal and medical information we may collect, how we use it, and how we protect your privacy. You do not need to do anything in response to this notice. We recommend that you read and retain this notice for your personal files.

Privacy Policy Highlights

	We collect nonpublic personal and medical information to process and administer our customers' business.
	We have policies and procedures in place to protect nonpublic personal and medical information about our customers.
	We do not sell, share, lease, rent or otherwise disclose nonpublic personal and medical information about our customers to anyone, except as permitted by law.
	Our Privacy Policy applies to both current and former customers.

Type of Nonpublic Personal and Medical Information We May Collect

Golden West Health Plan's employees, representatives, agents and selected third parties may collect nonpublic information about our customers, including:

	Information provided to us, such as on applications or other forms.
	Information about personal health in order to determine eligibility, administer claims, perform quality assurance activities and other health plan related functions.
	Information from others, such as employers and federal and state agencies.

Disclosure of Information

	We may disclose, as allowed by law, all types of nonpublic personal and medical information we collect when needed, to agents, employees, representatives and third parties. Please note: There may be instances when these same agents, representatives and third parties may not be acting on behalf of Golden West Health Plan, in which case they may collect nonpublic personal and medical information on their own behalf or on behalf of another. In these instances, Golden West Health Plan's Privacy Policy would not apply.
	We may disclose personally identifiable medical information when the customer or the applicable law authorizes disclosure.
	We do not permit further disclosure of nonpublic personal and medical information by the parties to which we disclose information.

Security and Protection of Nonpublic Personal and Medical Information

	We restrict access to nonpublic personal and medical information to those employees, agents, representatives or third parties that need to know the information to provide service to our customers.
	We have policies and procedures that give direction to our employees, and agents and representatives acting on our behalf, regarding how to protect and use nonpublic personal and medical information.
	We maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards to protect nonpublic personal and medical information.

Get Help in Your Language

You have the right to get this information and help in your language for free. Click here or call the Member Services number on your ID card for help. (TTY/TDD: 711).

Declaracion de practicas de privacidad en espanol

Effective 10/16/2016

Golden West Health Plan reserves the right to change any of its privacy policies and related procedures at any time, in accordance with applicable federal and state laws. Our Privacy Policy is available upon request, by calling our Member Services Department. Refer to the back of your card for the appropriate number.