Aetna voluntary plans notice of privacy practices
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Notice of Privacy Practices
Para recibir esta notificación en español por favor llamar al número gratuito de Member Services (Servicios a Miembros) que figura en su tarjeta de identificación.
- Spanish copy available by calling Member Services Account & Service Control
This Notice of Privacy Practices applies to Aetna’s insured health benefit plans. It does not apply to any plans that are self-funded by an employer. Your employer will be able to tell you if your plan is insured or self-funded. If you plan is self-funded, you may want to ask for a copy of your employer’s privacy notice.
- Notice covers insured plans, not employer self-funded plans Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information.
Please review it carefully.
Aetna1 considers personal information confidential. We protect the privacy of that information in accordance with federal and state privacy laws, as well as our own company privacy policies.
- Aetna treats personal information as confidential Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
This notice describes how we may use and disclose information about you in administering your benefits, and it explains your legal rights regarding the information.
- Aetna treats personal information as confidential Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
When we use the term “personal information,” we mean information that identifies you as an individual, such as your name and Social Security Number, as well as financial, health and other information about you that is nonpublic, and that we obtain so we can provide you with insurance coverage. By “health information,” we mean information that identifies you and relates to your medical history (i.e., the health care you receive or the amounts paid for that care).
- What “personal information” and “health information” mean Data Access & Collection
This notice became effective on October 1, 2025.
- Notice effective October 1, 2025 Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
How Aetna Uses and Discloses Personal Information
- Stricter law is followed where it applies Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- Information is not destroyed when coverage ends Retention & Deletion
In order to provide you with insurance coverage, we need personal information about you, and we obtain that information from many different sources – particularly your employer or benefits plan sponsor, other insurers, HMOs, or third-party administrators (TPAs), and health care providers. In administering your health benefits, we may use and disclose personal information about you in various ways, including:
- Where Aetna gets personal information Data Access & Collection
- Stricter law is followed where it applies Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
Health Care Operations: We may use and disclose personal information during the course of running our health business – that is, during operational activities such as quality assessment and improvement; licensing; accreditation by independent organizations; performance measurement and outcomes assessment; health services research; and preventive health, disease management, case management and care coordination. For example, we may use the information to provide disease management programs for members with specific conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, or heart failure. Other operational activities requiring use and disclosure include administration of reinsurance and stop loss; underwriting and rating; detection and investigation of fraud; administration of pharmaceutical programs and payments; transfer of policies or contracts from and to other health plans; facilitation of a sale, transfer, merger or consolidation of all or part of Aetna with another entity (including due diligence related to such activity); and other general administrative activities, including data and information systems management, and customer service.
- Use and disclosure for health care operations Use & Processing
- Other operational uses: underwriting, fraud, mergers and sales Use & Processing
- Stricter law is followed where it applies Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- Information is not destroyed when coverage ends Retention & Deletion
Payment: To help pay for your covered services, we may use and disclose personal information in a number of ways – in conducting utilization and medical necessity reviews; coordinating care; determining eligibility; determining formulary compliance; collecting premiums; calculating cost-sharing amounts; and responding to complaints, appeals and requests for external review. For example, we may use your medical history and other health information about you to decide whether a particular treatment is medically necessary and what the payment should be – and during the process, we may disclose information to your provider. We also mail Explanation of Benefits forms and other information to the address we have on record for the subscriber (i.e., the primary insured). We also use personal information to obtain payment for any mail order pharmacy services provided to you.
- Use and disclosure for payment Use & Processing
- Explanation of Benefits mailed to the subscriber’s address Sharing & Disclosure
- Stricter law is followed where it applies Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- Right to ask for communications in a certain way or place Account & Service Control
- Information is not destroyed when coverage ends Retention & Deletion
1 For purposes of this Notice, “Aetna” and the pronouns “we,” “us” and “our” refer to all of the HMO and licensed insurer subsidiaries of Aetna Inc. These
- “Aetna” means a group of subsidiaries that share protected health information Sharing & Disclosure
entities have been designated as a single affiliated covered entity for federal privacy purposes. The members of the Aetna ACE can share Protected Health Information (PHI) with each other. We do this for the treatment, payment and health care operations of the Aetna ACE and as allowed by HIPAA and this Notice. For a full list of the members of the Aetna ACE, contact the Aetna Privacy Office at PrivacyAetna@aetna.com.
- “Aetna” means a group of subsidiaries that share protected health information Sharing & Disclosure
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Treatment: We may disclose information to doctors, dentists, pharmacies, hospitals, and other health care providers who take care of you. For example, doctors may request medical information from us to supplement their own records. We also may use personal information in providing mail order pharmacy services and by sending certain information to doctors for patient safety or other treatment-related reasons.
- Disclosure to health care providers for treatment Sharing & Disclosure
- Stricter law is followed where it applies Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- Information is not destroyed when coverage ends Retention & Deletion
Disclosures to Other Covered Entities: We may disclose personal information to other covered entities, or business associates of those entities for treatment, payment and certain health care operations purposes. For example, we may disclose personal information to other health plans maintained by your employer if it has been arranged for us to do so in order to have certain expenses reimbursed.
- Disclosure to other covered entities and their business associates Sharing & Disclosure
Additional Reasons for Disclosure
We may use or disclose health information about you in providing you with treatment alternatives, treatment reminders, or other health-related benefits and services. We also may disclose such information in support of:
- Treatment alternatives, reminders and other health-related benefits and services Use & Processing
- Disclosure to your employer for plan administration Sharing & Disclosure
- Disclosure to researchers Sharing & Disclosure
- Disclosure to business partners who assure protection Sharing & Disclosure
- Disclosure to regulators and for workers’ compensation Sharing & Disclosure
- Disclosure to law enforcement and in legal proceedings Sharing & Disclosure
- Disclosure for public welfare and as required by law Sharing & Disclosure
- Disclosure about deceased people and organ donation Sharing & Disclosure
- Plan Administration – to your employer, when we have been informed that appropriate language has been included in your plan documents, or when summary data is disclosed to assist in bidding or amending a group health plan.
- Disclosure to your employer for plan administration Sharing & Disclosure
- Research – to researchers, provided measures are taken to protect your privacy.
- Disclosure to researchers Sharing & Disclosure
- Business Partners – to persons who provide services to us and assure us they will protect the information.
- Disclosure to business partners who assure protection Sharing & Disclosure
- Industry Regulation – to state insurance departments, boards of pharmacy, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Labor and other government agencies that regulate us.
- Disclosure to regulators and for workers’ compensation Sharing & Disclosure
- Workers’ Compensation – to comply with workers’ compensation laws.
- Disclosure to regulators and for workers’ compensation Sharing & Disclosure
- Law Enforcement – to federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
- Disclosure to law enforcement and in legal proceedings Sharing & Disclosure
- Legal Proceedings – in response to a court order or other lawful process.
- Disclosure to law enforcement and in legal proceedings Sharing & Disclosure
- Public Welfare – to address matters of public interest as required or permitted by law (e.g., child abuse and neglect, threats to public health and safety, and national security).
- Disclosure for public welfare and as required by law Sharing & Disclosure
- As Required by Law – to comply with legal obligations and requirements.
- Disclosure for public welfare and as required by law Sharing & Disclosure
- Decedents – to a coroner or medical examiner for the purpose of identifying a deceased person, determining a cause of death, or as authorized by law; and to funeral directors as necessary to carry out their duties.
- Disclosure about deceased people and organ donation Sharing & Disclosure
- Organ Procurement – to respond to organ donation groups for the purpose of facilitating donation and transplantation.
- Disclosure about deceased people and organ donation Sharing & Disclosure
Required Disclosures: We must use and disclose your personal information in the following manner:
- Disclosures Aetna must make Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- To you or someone who has the legal right to act for you (your personal representative) in order to administer your rights as described in this notice; and
- Disclosures Aetna must make Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- To the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, as necessary, for HIPAA compliance and enforcement purposes.
- Disclosures Aetna must make Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
Disclosure to Others Involved in Your Health Care
- Disclosure to people involved in your care, and your right to stop it Sharing & Disclosure
- Right to ask for restrictions, which Aetna may refuse Account & Service Control
We may disclose personal information about you to a relative, a friend, the subscriber of your health benefits plan or any other person you identify, provided the information is directly relevant to that person’s involvement with your health care or payment for that care. For example, if a family member or a caregiver calls us with prior knowledge of a claim, we may confirm whether or not the claim has been received and paid. You have the right to stop or limit this kind of disclosure by calling the toll-free Customer Service number at 1-888-772-9682.
- Disclosure to people involved in your care, and your right to stop it Sharing & Disclosure
- Right to ask for restrictions, which Aetna may refuse Account & Service Control
If you are a minor, you also may have the right to block parental access to your health information in certain circumstances, if permitted by state law. You can contact us using the toll-free Customer Service number at 1-888-772-9682 – or have your provider contact us.
- Minors may be able to block parental access Account & Service Control
In all situations other than those described above, we will ask for your written authorization before using or disclosing personal information about you. For example, we will get your authorization:
- Written authorization needed for other uses and disclosures Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- for marketing purposes that are unrelated to your benefit plan(s),
- Written authorization needed for other uses and disclosures Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- before disclosing any psychotherapy notes,
- Written authorization needed for other uses and disclosures Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- related to the sale of your health information, and
- Written authorization needed for other uses and disclosures Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- for other reasons as required by law.
- Written authorization needed for other uses and disclosures Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
If you have given us an authorization, you may revoke it in writing at any time, if we have not already acted on it. If you have questions regarding authorizations, please call the toll-free Customer Service number at 1-888-772-9682. PHI disclosed as permitted by HIPAA may be subject to redisclosure by the recipient and no longer protected by HIPAA.
- You can revoke an authorization in writing Account & Service Control
- Information disclosed under HIPAA may be redisclosed Sharing & Disclosure
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Additional Restrictions on Use and Disclosure
Some state and federal laws may require special privacy protections, including certain requirements to obtain attestations from requestors, that limit the use and disclosure of certain sensitive health information. Such laws may protect information related to:
- Categories of sensitive information that laws may protect Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- Alcohol or substance use disorder
- Categories of sensitive information that laws may protect Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- Biometric Information
- Categories of sensitive information that laws may protect Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- Child or adult abuse or neglect, including sexual assault
- Categories of sensitive information that laws may protect Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- Communicable diseases
- Categories of sensitive information that laws may protect Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- Genetic information
- Categories of sensitive information that laws may protect Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- HIV/AIDs
- Categories of sensitive information that laws may protect Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- Mental health
- Categories of sensitive information that laws may protect Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- Minors
- Categories of sensitive information that laws may protect Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- Reproductive health
- Categories of sensitive information that laws may protect Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- Sexually transmitted diseases
- Categories of sensitive information that laws may protect Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
We will follow the law that is stricter (or more protective of your PHI), where it applies to us. If you would like additional information about additional use or disclosure restrictions that may apply to your sensitive PHI, please contact the Aetna Privacy Office.
- Stricter law is followed where it applies Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
Substance Use Disorder Information
- Information from substance use disorder programs Use & Processing
We are not a substance use disorder treatment program. We may receive or keep information about you that comes from a substance use disorder program. If a substance use disorder program provides us this information through a 42 CFR Part 2 consent, including a consent for future uses and disclosures for treatment, payment, and health care operations, we will use or share that information in accordance with both the consent and HIPAA. In limited situations where we may disclose this information without your permission, such as medical emergencies and government audits, we will follow the law that is more protective of your information. We will not use or share this information in any legal case against you unless:
- Information from substance use disorder programs Use & Processing
- Substance use disorder information not used in legal cases against you without consent or court order Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- You give us written consent, or
- Substance use disorder information not used in legal cases against you without consent or court order Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- A court orders us with a subpoena or other legal requirement.
- Substance use disorder information not used in legal cases against you without consent or court order Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
You or Aetna must also receive notice and a chance to be heard.
- Substance use disorder information not used in legal cases against you without consent or court order Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
Your Legal Rights
The federal privacy regulations give you several rights regarding your health information.
- Right to ask for communications in a certain way or place Account & Service Control
- You have the right to ask us to communicate with you in a certain way or at a certain location. For example, if you are covered as an adult dependent, you might want us to send health information (e.g. Explanation of benefits
- Right to ask for communications in a certain way or place Account & Service Control
(EOB) and other claim information) to a different address from that of your subscriber. We will accommodate reasonable requests.
- Right to ask for communications in a certain way or place Account & Service Control
- You have the right to ask us to restrict the way we use or disclose health information about you in connection with health care operations, payment, and treatment. We will consider, but may not agree to, such requests. You also have the right to ask us to restrict disclosures to persons involved in your health care.
- Right to ask for restrictions, which Aetna may refuse Account & Service Control
- You have the right to ask us to obtain a copy of health information that is contained in a “designated record set” – medical records and other records maintained and used in making enrollment, payment, claims adjudication, medical management, and other decisions. We may ask you to make your request in writing, may charge a reasonable fee for producing and mailing the copies and, in certain cases, may deny the request.
- Right to a copy of your designated record set Account & Service Control
- You have the right to ask us to amend health information that is in a “designated record set.” Your request must be in writing and must include the reason for the request. If we deny the request, you may file a written statement of disagreement.
- Right to ask for amendment of your records Account & Service Control
- You have the right to ask us to provide a list of certain disclosures we have made about you, such as disclosures of health information to government agencies that license us. Your request must be in writing. If you request such an accounting more than once in a 12-month period, we may charge a reasonable fee.
- Right to a list of certain disclosures Account & Service Control
- You have the right to be notified following a breach involving your health information.
- Right to be notified of a breach Security & Safeguards
- You have the right to know the reasons for an unfavorable underwriting decision. Previous unfavorable underwriting decisions may not be used as the basis for future underwriting decisions unless we make an independent evaluation of the basic facts. Your genetic information cannot be used for underwriting purposes.
- Rights about underwriting decisions and genetic information Use & Processing
- You have the right with very limited exceptions, not to be subjected to pretext interviews.2 You may make any of the requests described above, may request a paper copy of this notice, or ask questions regarding this notice by calling the toll-free Customer Service number at 1-888-772-9682.
- Right not to be subjected to pretext interviews Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- How to make requests and get a paper copy Account & Service Control
You also have the right to file a complaint if you think your privacy rights have been violated. To do so, please send an email to Aetna Privacy Office at PrivacyAetna@aetna.com or send your request to the following address:
- Right to file a complaint, with no penalty Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
HIPAA Member Rights Team P.O. Box 14079 Lexington, KY 40512-4079
- Right to file a complaint, with no penalty Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
You may stop the paper mailing of your EOB and other claim information by visiting www.aetna.com and click “Log In/Register”. Follow the prompts to complete the one-time registration. Then you can log in any time to view past copies of EOBs and other claim information.
- Stop paper mailing of EOBs by registering online Account & Service Control
You also may write to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.
- Right to file a complaint, with no penalty Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
Aetna’s Legal Obligations
- Aetna treats personal information as confidential Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- Aetna’s legal obligations under the federal privacy regulations Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
The federal privacy regulations require us to keep personal information about you private, to give you notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, and to follow the terms of the notice currently in effect.
- Aetna treats personal information as confidential Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- Aetna’s legal obligations under the federal privacy regulations Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
Safeguarding Your Information
- Safeguards for your information Security & Safeguards
We guard your information with administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect it against unauthorized access and against threats and hazards to its security and integrity. We comply with all applicable state and federal law pertaining to the security and confidentiality of personal information.
- Safeguards for your information Security & Safeguards
This Notice is Subject to Change
- Aetna may change the notice at any time, with effect on existing information Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
We may change the terms of this notice and our privacy policies at any time. If we do, the new terms and policies will be effective for all of the information that we already have about you, as well as any information that we may receive or hold in the future.
- Aetna may change the notice at any time, with effect on existing information Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
Please note that we do not destroy personal information about you when you terminate your coverage with us. It may be necessary to use and disclose this information for the purposes described above even after your coverage terminates, although policies and procedures will remain in place to protect against inappropriate use or disclosure.
- Information is not destroyed when coverage ends Retention & Deletion
2 We do not participate in pretext interviews.
- Aetna does not participate in pretext interviews Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
Coverage may be underwritten or administered by one or more of the following companies: Aetna Health Inc.; Aetna Health of California Inc.; Aetna Dental of California Inc.; Aetna Dental Inc.; Aetna Life Insurance Company; Aetna Insurance Company of Connecticut; Aetna Health Insurance Company of New York; and Corporate Health Insurance Company. Mail order pharmacy services may be provided by Aetna Rx Home Delivery, LLC.
- Companies that may underwrite or administer coverage Legal Rights & Agreement Rules