Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Privacy Practices

Account & Service Control · Procedure

Members can sign up to get these notices by email

Anthem invites members to go paperless: on anthem.com a member can sign up to get these notices by email and to read them online or on the mobile app next time.

Supporting quotations

Would you like to go paperless and read this online or on our mobile app next time? Go to anthem.com and sign up to get these notices by email.

Not stated here

• The source does not say whether signing up replaces the paper mailing for all notices or only these yearly ones, or what happens to the paper copy.

Account & Service Control · User right or choice

Members have the right to see and correct their PI

The state notice says a member has the right to see and correct their personal information (PI). The state notice text does not itself describe how to make a request.

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You have the right to see and correct your PI.

Not stated here

• The state notice does not say how a PI request is made or what limits apply. The later HIPAA 'Your rights' section describes written requests for PHI; the source does not say those steps also govern PI.

Account & Service Control · User right or choice

Anthem must give members access to their own PHI

Anthem says it must give members access to their own PHI.

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Sharing your PHI with you: We must give you access to your own PHI.

Not stated here

• How to request access is not described in this paragraph.

Account & Service Control · User right or choice

Members have rights under federal law, exercised through the listed requests

The notice states that under federal law the member has the rights listed next: to see or copy PHI, to ask for corrections, to ask that PHI not be used for treatment, payment or operations, to request confidential communications, to get a list of those with whom PHI was shared, and to ask for a restriction on services paid for out of pocket. The last item says how to use these rights.

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Your rights

Under federal law, you have the right to:

Qualifications & exceptions

• Each right has its own limits, described in the items that follow.

Account & Service Control · User right or choice

Members can send a written request to see or get a copy of their PHI

The member can send Anthem a written request to see or get a copy of their PHI, including a copy by email. Anthem says it will usually provide the copy within 30 days of the request, and will tell the member if it needs more time.

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Send us a written request to see or get a copy of your PHI, including a request for a copy of your PHI through email.

We will provide you a copy of your PHI usually within 30 days of your request. If we need more time, we will let you know.

Qualifications & exceptions

• The request must be in writing.
• 'Usually within 30 days' is not a guaranteed deadline.

Cross-references

• qualified by (model-proposed): Anthem will confirm before sending PHI by unencrypted email — The unencrypted email caution qualifies how a copy of PHI requested through email will be sent.

Account & Service Control · User right or choice

Members can ask Anthem to correct PHI they believe is wrong or incomplete

The member can ask Anthem to correct any PHI the member believes is wrong or incomplete. If someone else, such as the member's doctor, gave Anthem the PHI, Anthem will say so, so the member can ask that person to correct it. Anthem may say no, but it will explain why in writing within 60 days.

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Ask that we correct any PHI that you believe is wrong or incomplete.

If someone else, such as your doctor, gave us the PHI, we’ll let you know so you can ask him or her to correct it.

We may say “no” to your request, but we’ll tell you why in writing within 60 days.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Anthem may refuse; it commits to a written reason within 60 days.

Not stated here

• The notice does not say what happens to the PHI when the source of the information is someone else.

Account & Service Control · User right or choice

Members can request confidential communications

The member can ask Anthem to send PHI or contact the member by other reasonable ways. The member can also say if they want mail sent to a different address if sending it to their home could put them in danger.

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Request confidential communications. You can ask us to send your PHI or contact you using other ways that are reasonable.

Also, let us know if you want us to send your mail to a different address if sending it to your home could put you in danger.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Limited to 'other ways that are reasonable'.

Account & Service Control · User right or choice

Members can request a list of those with whom PHI was shared

The member can send Anthem a written request for a list of those with whom it has shared the member's PHI. Anthem says it will usually provide the list within 60 days, and will tell the member if it needs more time.

Supporting quotations

Send us a written request to ask us for a list of those with whom we’ve shared your PHI.

We will provide you a list, usually within 60 days of your request. If we need more time, we will let you know.

Qualifications & exceptions

• 'Usually within 60 days' is not a guaranteed deadline.

Not stated here

• The notice does not say which disclosures the list covers or whether any are excluded.

Account & Service Control · Procedure

To use any of these rights, call Member Services

Anthem tells members to call Member Services at the phone number on the ID card to use any of these rights. A representative can give the address to send the request and any forms that may help.

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Call Member Services at the phone number on your ID card to use any of these rights.

A representative can give you the address to send the request. They can also give you any forms we have that may help you with this process.

Not stated here

• The notice gives no address or form name.

Account & Service Control · User right or choice

A member who does not want phone contact can tell the caller or call 844-203-3796

A member who does not want to be contacted by phone can let the caller know or call 844-203-3796 to add their number to Anthem's Do Not Call list. Anthem says it will then no longer call or text.

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If you don’t want to be contacted by phone, let the caller know or call 844-203-3796 to add your phone number to our Do Not Call list.

We will then no longer call or text you.

Cross-references

• contrast (model-proposed): Emails may carry limited PHI and Anthem says it will ask permission before contacting — One passage says Anthem will ask permission before it contacts the member, while another describes phone and text contact that Anthem may make using an autodialer, which the member stops by telling the caller or calling the Do Not Call number. The notice does not say whether the permission sentence covers phone and text contact.

Account & Service Control · Procedure

Members can call Member Services for help applying rights, filing complaints or discussing privacy

Members may call Member Services at the number on the ID card, where representatives can help apply rights, file a complaint, or talk about privacy issues.

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Contact information

You may call us at the Member Services phone number on your ID card. Our representatives can help you apply your rights, file a complaint, or talk with you about privacy issues.

Account & Service Control · User right or choice

Members can get a new copy of the notice at any time, including a paper copy

The member has the right to get a new copy of the notice at any time. Even if the member has agreed to get the notice by electronic means, the member still has the right to ask for a paper copy.

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Copies and changes

You have the right to get a new copy of this notice at any time.

Even if you have agreed to get this notice by electronic means, you still have the right to ask for a paper copy.

Account & Service Control · User right or choice

Members can get this information in their preferred language for free and in another format

The notice says the member has the right to get this information in their preferred language for free, and members can call the Member Services number on the ID card (TTY/TDD 711) for help. Anthem also offers the notice in a different format for members with visual impairments; the member can call the Member Services number to ask.

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Get help in your language

One more right that you have is the right to get this information in your preferred language for free.

If you’d like extra help to understand this in another language, call the Member Services number on your ID card (TTY/TDD: 711).

we also offer this notice in a different format for members with visual impairments.

If you need a different format, please call the Member Services number on your ID card.

Not stated here

• The notice does not say which formats are available for members with visual impairments.

Account & Service Control · User right or choice

The same language-assistance statement is repeated in other languages

The notice repeats a short statement in many other languages, beginning with Spanish. The Spanish version says the member has the right to get this information and help in their language for free, and to call the Member Services number on the ID card for help (TTY/TDD 711). Other languages appear under their own headings as translations of the same statement.

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Language assistance

Spanish

Tiene el derecho de obtener esta información y ayuda en su idioma en forma gratuita. Llame al número de Servicios para Miembros que figura en su tarjeta de identificación para obtener ayuda. (TTY/TDD: 711)

Not stated here

• Only the Spanish text was read as a translation of the English statement; the other language versions, some of which the extraction has garbled, are not separately interpreted.