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Beaton Insurance Agency LLC
Privacy Policy
Our Privacy Pledge
We believe that
information personal to you should be respected and protected. For this
reason, we are committed to protecting your personal information and using
it only as appropriate to provide you with the best possible service,
products and opportunities. This privacy policy describes our information
practices and policies. It applies to our relationship with you if you are
an individual who inquires about or obtains products or services from us for
personal, family or household purposes.
Information We Collect
In order to provide
our products or services, we may collect personal information about you from
a variety of sources, including:
-
information that
comes from you during the application process
-
information about
you from our affiliates, your independent insurance agent, governmental
entities, consumer reporting agencies and other sources
-
with your prior
written consent, a medical professional who has treated you or members of
your family
The type of
information that we collect depends on the product or service requested, but
may include:
-
credit history
-
motor vehicle
reports
-
inspections on your
property
-
claims history
-
information
concerning your previous insurance policies
-
information to
properly investigate and resolve any claims
Information We Disclose To Third Parties
We do not sell
your personal information to anyone.
We do not disclose your personal information to third parties - people and
companies that are not affiliated with us - for their own marketing
purposes. For this reason, no "opt-out" is required. If we share some
personal information about you with third parties without your specific
authorization, it is to provide you with products and services that you
request or expect from us, and as otherwise permitted by law.
For example, we may
disclose your personal information as necessary to:
-
service your policy,
lease or account
-
investigate and pay
claims
-
comply with state
and federal regulatory requests or demands
-
process other
transactions that you request
To whom we
make such disclosures depends on the product or service requested but may
include:
-
your independent
insurance agent
-
insurance regulators
-
reinsurance
companies
-
consumer-reporting
agencies
-
the Medical
Information Bureau
-
your mortgage or
premium finance company
-
insurance adjusters
We also may
disclose personal information about you to companies that perform marketing
services on our behalf or to other financial service providers with which we
have joint marketing agreements. If information is disclosed, it will not
result in telemarketing or direct mail marketing.
Information We Share Within Our Corporate Family
In order to best
serve you, we may share information about our experiences and transactions
with you within our family of companies. Such information may include your
payment or claims history or the types of insurance coverages you purchase
from us.
A
Special Word About Our Insurance Information Practices
The information in
this section applies to you only if you applied for or purchased an
insurance product from us for personal, family or household purposes. This
section is intended to supplement, but not replace, the other information
contained in this Privacy Policy.
You have the right
to access the personal information that we collect about you in connection
with your insurance transactions with us. If you believe that any of that
information is in error, you have the right to request us to correct it.
Send your written request, including your policy number and the information
about which you are concerned, to the address listed below.
If you would like a
more detailed notice regarding our insurance information practices and your
information privacy rights, please contact us at the address or phone number
given below.
Ongoing Access To Our Privacy Policy
For more
information concerning our privacy practices, please contact us at:
Beaton Insurance
Agency LLC
33 West Walnut Street
Oxford, Ohio 45056
(513) 523-7533
A separate
Notice of Privacy Practices applies to health information obtained in
connection with a health, long-term care or Medicare supplement policy
purchased from Beaton Insurance Agency LLC.
Notice
of Privacy Practices —
Health, Medicare Supplement and Long-Term Care Products
THIS NOTICE
DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND
HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW THIS NOTICE
CAREFULLY.
New federal
regulations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of
1996 require Beaton Insurance Agency LLC to provide you with a notice that
explains our privacy practices and outlines your rights with regard to the
health, Medicare supplement or long-term care insurance you purchased from
us. The Notice does not change, diminish or limit your coverage in any
way.
OUR PRIVACY PLEDGE
To provide you with
the products and services you request, it is necessary to collect some
personal information about you. Beaton Insurance Agency LLC believes that
information personal to you should be respected and protected. Additionally,
we are required by law to maintain the privacy of our policyholders’
personal health information.
We share
personal health information only as necessary to carry out treatment,
payment and health care operations for the products and services you request
and as permitted by law.
If our privacy practices change, we will send you a revised Notice if you
still have an insurance policy with us. Additionally, you may request a copy
of our Notice at any time by mailing a request to the address at the end of
this Notice.
The terms of this
Notice of Privacy Practices apply to Beaton Insurance Agency LLC. The
information provided in this Notice applies to all persons, including all of
your covered dependents, covered under the health, Medicare supplement or
long-term care insurance you have purchased from us.
USES AND DISCLOSURES OF YOUR PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION
We will not use or
disclose your personal health information except in the following
circumstances:
Your
Authorization.
We will use or disclose information if you have signed a form authorizing
the use or disclosure and then only in accordance with such authorization.
You have the right to revoke that authorization in writing at any time.
Disclosures for Treatment. We will make disclosures of your personal
health information as necessary for your treatment. For instance, a doctor
or health facility involved in your care may request your personal health
information that we hold in order to make decisions about your care.
Uses and
Disclosures for Payment.
We will use and disclose your personal health information as necessary for
payment purposes. For example, we may use information regarding your medical
procedures and treatment to process and pay claims, to determine whether
services are medically necessary or to otherwise preauthorize or certify
services as covered under your policy. We may also forward such information
to another health plan which may also have an obligation to process and pay
claims on your behalf.
Uses and
Disclosures for Health Care Operations.
We will use and disclose your personal health information as necessary, and
as permitted by law, for our health care operations which may include
credentialing health care providers, peer review, business management,
accreditation and licensing, utilization review and management, quality
improvement and assurance, enrollment, underwriting, reinsurance,
compliance, auditing, rating and other functions related to your policy. We
may also disclose your personal health information to another health care
facility, health care professional or health plan for quality assurance and
case management, but only if that facility, professional, or plan has or had
a patient relationship with you. We may also disclose some personal health
information to your agent in order to facilitate the payment of a claim or
process a transaction that you request.
Family and
Friends Involved In Your Care.
With your prior approval, we may disclose your personal health information
to designated family, friends and others who are involved in your care or in
payment for your care in order to facilitate that person’s involvement in
caring for you or paying for your care. If you are unavailable,
incapacitated or facing an emergency medical situation, and we determine
that a limited disclosure may be in your best interest, we may share limited
personal health information with such individuals without your approval. We
may also disclose limited personal health information to a public or private
entity that is authorized to assist in disaster relief efforts in order for
that entity to locate a family member or other persons that may be involved
in some aspect of caring for you.
Long-Term Care
or Medicare Supplement Insurance.
If you have purchased long-term care or Medicare supplement insurance and
have designated a person to receive information regarding payment of the
premium on your policy, we will inform that person when your premium has not
been paid. We also use a third-party administrator to process applications
and claims under our long-term care policies, but require it to
appropriately safeguard the privacy of your information.
Outside Business
Associates.
Certain aspects and components of our services are performed through
contracts with outside persons or organizations, such as auditing,
accreditation, actuarial services, legal services, third party
administrators, etc. At times it may be necessary for us to provide portions
of your personal health information to one or more of these outside persons
or organizations who assist us with our health care operations. In all
cases, we require these business associates to appropriately safeguard the
privacy of your information.
Communications
With You.
We may communicate with you regarding your claims, premiums or other matters
connected with your policy. If such communication places you in danger, you
have the right to request to receive communications regarding your personal
health information from us by alternative means or at alternative locations.
For instance, if you wish messages to not be left on voice mail or sent to a
particular address, we will accommodate such request if reasonable. You must
make such request in writing and may send it to the address provided at the
end of this Notice.
Other
Health-Related Products or Services.
We may, from time to time, use your personal health information to determine
whether you might be interested in or benefit from treatment alternatives or
other health-related programs, products or services which may be available
to you under your policy. For example, we may use your personal health
information to identify whether you have a particular illness and contact
you to advise you that a disease management program to help you manage your
illness is available to you as a policyholder. We will not use your
information to communicate with you about products or services which are not
health-related without your written permission.
Other Uses and
Disclosures.
We are permitted or required by law to make certain other uses and
disclosures of your personal health information without your authorization.
-
We may release your
personal health information for any purpose required by law, such as:
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For public health
activities;
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If we suspect
child abuse or neglect or if we believe you to be a victim of abuse,
neglect or domestic violence;
-
To the Food and
Drug Administration if necessary to report adverse events, product
defects or to participate in product recalls;
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To a government
oversight agency conducting audits, investigations or civil or criminal
proceedings;
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If required to do
so by a court- or administrative-ordered subpoena or discovery request;
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To law enforcement
officials as required by law to report wounds and injuries and crimes;
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To coroners and/or
funeral directors;
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We may release your
personal health information if necessary to comply with your request to
arrange an organ or tissue donation or to arrange for a transplant for
you;
-
We may release your
personal health information if you are a member of the military as
required by armed forces services; we may also release your personal
health information if necessary for national security or intelligence
activities; and
-
We may release your
personal health information to workers' compensation agencies if necessary
for your workers' compensation benefit determination.
YOUR RIGHTS
Access to Your
Personal Health Information.
You have the right to copy and inspect much of the personal health
information that we retain on your behalf. All requests for access must be
made in writing and signed by you or your representative. We reserve the
right to charge you a reasonable copying fee if you request a copy of the
information. We also reserve the right to charge for postage if you request
a mailed copy. You may obtain an access request form by making a written
request to the address listed at the end of this Notice.
Amendments to
Your Personal Health Information.
You have the right to request in writing that personal health information
that we maintain about you be amended. We are not obligated to make all
requested amendments but will give each request careful consideration. All
amendment requests, in order to be considered by us, must be in writing,
signed by you or your representative, and must state the reasons for the
amendment request. If an amendment you request is made by us, we may also
notify others who work with us and provide copies of the uncorrected record
and amendment if we believe that such notification is necessary. You may
request an amendment by sending a written request to the address listed at
the end of this Notice.
Accounting for
Disclosures of Your Personal Health Information.
You have the right to receive an accounting of certain disclosures of your
personal health information made by us after April 14, 2003. Requests must
be made in writing, be signed by you or your representative and sent to the
address listed at the end of this Notice. The first accounting in any
12-month period is free; we reserve the right to charge a fee of $25 for
each subsequent accounting you request within the same 12-month period.
Restrictions on
Use and Disclosure of Your Personal Health Information.
You have the right to request restrictions on certain of our uses and
disclosures of your personal health information for treatment, payment or
health care operations by notifying us of your request for a restriction in
writing. A restriction request form can be obtained by making a written
request to the address listed at the end of this Notice. We are not required
to agree to your restriction request but will attempt to accommodate
reasonable requests when appropriate, and we retain the right to terminate
an agreed-to restriction if we believe such termination is appropriate. In
the event of a termination by us, we will notify you of such termination.
You also have the right to terminate, in writing or orally, any agreed-to
restriction to sending such termination Notice by sending a written request
to the address listed at the end of this Notice.
Complaints.
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a
complaint in writing to the address listed at the end of this Notice. You
may also file a complaint with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C., in writing within 180 days of
a violation of your rights. There will be no retaliation for filing a
complaint.
EFFECTIVE DATE
This Notice of
Privacy Practices is effective April 14, 2003.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
If you have
questions, wish to request an item described in this Notice or need further
assistance, you may contact us at:
Beaton Insurance
Agency LLC
33 West Walnut Street
Oxford, Ohio 45056
(513) 523-7533
This Notice of
Privacy Practices applies only to health information obtained in connection
with a health, long-term care or Medicare supplement policy. A separate
notice applies to information obtained in connection with all other personal
products we sell.
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