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Privacy Policy

Effective Date: October 8, 2024

As part of the day-to-day business operations of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Inc. (“BCBST”), we receive and maintain certain information regarding our subscribers, members, and guests. BCBST respects the privacy of individuals. This policy refers only to the information collected, maintained and/or disclosed through BCBST.com (the “Website”), bcbst.com account, the broker portal, the employer portal, and any related BCBST web-based services or mobile applications (collectively, the “Services”).

By using the Services, you confirm your consent and agreement to this Privacy Policy, which includes provisions relating to our collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information, member health information, and other information. In addition, your use of the Services also signifies your compliance with our User Agreement. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY AND THE USER AGREEMENT, YOU MAY NOT ACCESS THE SERVICES.

Guests and Registered Users
Guests only have access to the Website. Users of the Website often visit solely to obtain general information about BCBST’s operations and services. Guests are not authenticated or identified personally when they use the website. Authenticated users will have a user ID and password.

We collect and store the following information:

  • Technical information like browser detail (type, version, language), IP Address, operating system (name, version), mobile carrier detail, connection speed, and screen resolution;
  • Geographic detail like visit location including country, state, city, zip code, and time zone;
  • Session detail like whether you are a new or returning visitor, log-ins (where applicable), visit duration, visit date and time, and referring website;
  • Page view detail like pages and screens visited, page and screen activity such as: clicks/taps, scroll depth, duration on page/screen, previous page or screen on Website visited, and next page or screen on Website visited;
  • Event detail like product views, event value, forms started, abandoned, and/or submitted;
  • Search detail like search term and search date;
  • Demographic detail if you are a registered user and it is applicable to the Services like gender, age, and member type (subscriber/dependent);
  • Plan detail if you are a registered user and it is applicable to the Services like benefit types, group ID, group name, line of business, subscriber ID, and member suffix

We use this information to help us make the Website more useful to visitors. This information may or may not identify you. Information that identifies you is personal information. Information that does not identify a person and with respect to which there is no reasonable basis to believe that the information can be used to identify a person is not personal information; it is de-identified information. BCBST may use and disclose de-identified information in accordance with this Privacy Policy and as permitted by applicable law.

 

Authorized Users
Certain users may access the Services to conduct transactions within the employer or broker portals. You will be required to provide identifiable information for authentication purposes. You will be able to sign on and create a unique user name and password. BCBST, its employees or affiliates may have access to your information.

Subscribers, Members and Member Personal Representatives
Identifiable information about users who previously or currently have health insurance coverage with BCBST is referred to as “member health information.” These members (and their personal representatives) may access the Services to conduct transactions, including submitting additional applications for coverage, checking claim status, referrals and pre-authorizations, verifying benefit information, communicating with BCBST, and paying premiums. Personal representatives may access the Services to submit documentation to us that demonstrate their legal authority to make healthcare decisions on behalf of members. Users who are current members of a BCBST health plan that is regulated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) (including personal representatives of such members) may also use the Services to provide a health application (App) of their choosing with access to certain member health information. Prior to utilization of these services, BCBST may ask for personal information about you, such as your name, date of birth, member identification number, member group number, Social Security number, mailing address, telephone number (including mobile number), and email address to verify appropriate usage. You will be able to sign on and create a unique user name and password. BCBST, its employees or affiliates may have access to your information. If you did not register to access the Services, please contact BCBST immediately via our Contact Us page.

Minor Members
BCBST provides health insurance coverage to minor members. Most states consider a person a “minor” if they are under the age of 18 (a “Minor”). A Minor who is either emancipated under Tennessee state law, or who is at least thirteen (13) years old and who has the permission of the Minor’s parent or guardian (a “Mature Minor”), may use the Services. BCBST treats emancipated Minors as adults.

Mature Minors who use the Services agree to give their parents, guardians or others involved in their care or payment for their care, as applicable, access to the Mature Minor’s member health information (including sensitive health information) that is available through the Services for the purpose of supporting the Mature Minor’s treatment or payment for that treatment, and assisting with the performance of normal health care operations activities, like coordinating care and improving health care services.

The Services are NOT directed to Minors under thirteen (13) years old (“Immature Minors”). We do not target the Services to Immature Minors, and we do not intentionally collect personal information from users who are Immature Minors. If you become aware that an Immature Minor has used the Services, and we may have personal information about an Immature Minor, please contact us via our Contact Us page, so we may delete the information.

 

Members with Diminished Capacity
If you are an adult member who is using Services, and you become legally incapacitated, you acknowledge and agree that BCBST may provide your personal representative and/or others who become involved in your care or payment for your care with access to your member health information (including sensitive health information) that is available through the Services for the purpose of supporting your treatment, payment for that treatment, and assisting with the performance of normal health care operations activities, such as coordinating care and improving health care services.

Member Health Information
BCBST maintains certain electronic member health information that may be made available through the Services. This information may include, but is not limited to the following: adjudicated claims data, including cost information; Explanations of Benefits (EOBs); member communications; encounter data from capitated providers; certain Part D formulary/drug data; and certain clinical data, including laboratory results. This information may reveal sensitive health information about the member, including information about treatment for substance use disorders, mental or behavioral health disorders, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), communicable diseases, developmental or intellectual disabilities, genetic disorders (including genetic testing for such disorders and genetic history) or other sensitive information. By using Services that provide third parties with access to member health information at your direction and with your approval, you consent to the disclosure of this sensitive health information to those third parties.

Use of Information
In addition to the ways we’ve identified above, we use the personal information we have about you, member health information and de-identified information to facilitate the provision of the Services to you, improve our products and services, and for our own research. We may incorporate information you submit through the Services with our other records we have. In that case, it may be subject to state and federal laws about privacy. Member health information is subject to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and its implementing regulations (“HIPAA”) and other state and federal privacy laws. Please refer to our Notice of Privacy Practices for more information on how we use member health information.

Sharing Information
We do not sell your personal information or member health information for commercial purposes. We may share your personal information, member health information, and de-identified information with third-party service providers and vendors that help us run the Services or that work with us to facilitate the products and services we offer. We may share this information to monitor or improve the Services. We may share statistical data relating to the Services or non-identifiable, anonymized information for other reasons. For example, we may share this with current and prospective investors or with our contractors, brokers, and providers for marketing purposes and the improvement and promotion of the Services.

We may share your personal information and member health information with third parties with your approval and your direction. We may also share this information with third parties in other limited circumstances, such as the following: to comply with legal processes; to cooperate with law enforcement; to prevent fraud or imminent harm; to protect the security of our network and services; when we believe your actions violate our User Agreement; in the event we are transferred or sold to another entity as a result of a corporate sale, merger, consolidation, asset sale, or in the unlikely event of bankruptcy; and for any other purpose that is required or permitted by the laws that apply to BCBST.

If you are a member of an employer-sponsored group health plan, we may also share your member health information with the sponsor of your group health plan and their service providers or vendors in accordance with applicable privacy laws. Member health information is subject to HIPAA and other state and federal privacy laws. Please refer to our Notice of Privacy Practices for more information on how we share member health information.

 

Links to Other Websites
Our Services may contain links to unaffiliated websites. Any access to and use of such linked websites is not governed by this Privacy Notice, but instead is governed by the privacy policies of those websites. We are not responsible for the information practices of such websites, including their collection of your personal information. You should review the privacy policies and terms for any third parties before proceeding to those websites or using those features.

Electronic Communications
We may need to contact you about the Services, your health plan offered by BCBST, and the other health plan-related services that you consent to receive from BCBST. By giving us your contact information, you have agreed that BCBST, our affiliates and subcontractors may contact you for these purposes. These communications may be done by automated dialing equipment and/or artificial or prerecorded messages. BCBST does not charge for its short message service (SMS); however, regular message and data rates may apply from your mobile carrier. You can opt-out at any time by using one of the methods on our Contact Us page. This opt-out process does not apply to live phone calls or emails, which may continue in case we need to reach you. If you register with the Services, you may be permitted to opt-out or change or designate your preferences for how we contact you. Those preferences will control how we contact you if there is a conflict between those preferences and the consent you provide in this document.

Many of our members and guests may also want to receive information such as new product offerings, health education, and newsletters via email. BCBST does collect contact information (such as email addresses) of members and guests to provide this type of information electronically. If you give us your email address through the Services, we may provide this type of information electronically. BCBST will also utilize email to perform surveys and/or gather other general information. Users that do not want to receive electronic information or surveys may opt-out using one of the methods set out in this Privacy Policy.

By texting JOIN to 69979, users may opt in to BCBST’s marketing list, which may include outreach regarding your existing relationship with BCBST and new products and services that might be useful to you. At any time, you may text STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL or BCSTOP to 69979 to unsubscribe. Per federal regulations, BCBST has up to ten (10) days to process your opt-out request. BCBST does not charge for its SMS service; however, regular message and data rates may apply from your mobile carrier.

Users must abide by the provisions of this Privacy Policy when contacting BCBST via email. Information you provide to us through the Services (such as the Contact Us form) is secure. Email via the Internet and through text messaging, such as a device’s SMS, or other electronic means may not be secure. There are risks associated with unsecure communications that you should consider. These risks include (without limitation) that an unauthorized person may get access to these communications. By engaging us in unsecure communications, you agree to accept these risks and consent to receive unsecure communications in response from us. If you engage us in unsecure electronic communications, please do not include any sensitive information or health or claim-related information in your communication. This includes member health plan numbers (such as Medicare numbers), Social Security numbers, personal medical information, or other confidential information. If you have a question about a specific claim, please call or write to our office.

 

Protecting Your Information
BCBST maintains physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal and state regulations to protect the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of protected health information (“PHI”). However, no security system is impenetrable and we cannot guarantee the security of our Website, nor can we guarantee that the information you submit will not be intercepted while being transmitted to us over the Internet, and we are not liable for the illegal acts of third parties such as criminal hackers. When you register or log-in with us for use of the Services, personal information is protected with encryption software that meets or exceeds industry standards, both when sent (i.e., in transit) and when stored (i.e., at rest).

BCBST will never make unsolicited phone calls or send emails asking members to provide, update, or verify personal information, such as address, member IDs, Social Security numbers, or other confidential information. If you receive a phone call or an email from a purported BCBST representative asking for this information, please contact our Privacy Office at 1-888-455-3824 or Privacy_Office@BCBST.com to report this incident.

BCBST will never make unsolicited phone calls or send emails asking members to provide, update, or verify personal information, such as address, member IDs, Social Security numbers, or other confidential information. If you receive a phone call or an email from a purported BCBST representative asking for this information, please contact our Privacy Office at 1-888-455-3824 or Privacy_Office@BCBST.com to report this incident.

There are additional steps that you can take to protect your personal information and member health information including: (1) create difficult passwords for online access to your bank, bill payment and other web-based services, including our Services; (2) never share your passwords with anyone; (3) use caution when opening unsolicited emails and attachments, as computer viruses can be passed along via email; (4) immediately report lost or stolen cards, including credit cards and member ID cards, immediately; and (5) contact the national credit reporting agencies – Trans Union, Equifax, and Experian – if you feel that your personal information has been accessed or is at risk.

 

Opt-Out
BCBST allows users that submit personal information to ‘‘opt-out’’ of having their personal information used for certain purposes not related to the Services at the time BCBST requests such information. Users who wish to later opt-out can do so by contacting us via our Contact Us page. This opt-out only applies to information collected during the registration process and does not affect information obtained by BCBST by any other means. If you decide to opt-out, that decision will be effective until you revoke it by contacting BCBST via our Contact Us page.

Correction/Updating Personal Information
If you would like to access, modify, or delete your personal information collected through the Services, contact BCBST via our Contact Us page. We will promptly review all such requests in accordance with applicable laws.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Cookies are small bits of electronic information that a website or application sends to your browser and are stored on your hard drive. BCBST uses cookies to identify users, track your behavior while using the Services, keep the Services secure, and improve the Services’ performance. Some cookies are necessary in order to use the Services, and these cannot be disabled. Other cookies are not required to browse our Services and may be disabled or deleted, but this may prevent you from properly using the Services. Most browsers allow you to adjust your cookie settings, which can be done through your browser’s settings. Third-party services may employ cookies on the Services in order to better perform their services. We have no control over third-party cookies, and therefore, disclaim any and all liability related to third-party cookies. BCBST and these third-party services may use cookies and other online tracking technologies to record communications between you and us, including your video viewing activity, and we may disclose such recordings or other information about you to third parties.

We use the following types of cookies:

  • Session Cookies. Session cookies exist only during an online session. They disappear from your device when you close your browser or turn off your device. We use session cookies to allow our systems to uniquely identify you during a session while accessing our Services. This allows us to display content and provide our Services to you while navigating our Site.
  • Persistent Cookies. Persistent cookies remain on your device after you have closed your browser or turned off your device. We use persistent cookies to track statistical information about user activity.
  • Clear GIFs, Pixel Tags and Other Technologies. Clear GIFs are tiny graphics with a unique identifier, similar in function to cookies. In contrast to cookies, which are stored on your computer’s hard drive, clear GIFs are embedded invisibly on web pages. We may use clear GIFs (a.k.a. web beacons, web bugs or pixel tags), in connection with our Services to, among other things, track activities of Website visitors, and to help us manage content on our Services.
  • Third-Party Analytics. We use third-party tools, such as Google Analytics, which are operated by third-party companies, to evaluate usage of our Services. These third-party analytics companies use cookies, pixels, and other tracking technologies to collect usage data about our Services to provide us with reports and metrics that help us evaluate usage of our Services, improve our Services, and enhance performance and user experiences. To learn more about Google’s privacy practices, please review the Google Privacy Notice at https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/.

Changes and Updates to Privacy Policy
BCBST reserves the right to change or update this Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes made to the policy will be posted on the Services in a manner that is easily identifiable. Please review this policy on a regular basis to review any changes.

Contact Information
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us via our Contact Us page.