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Privacy Policy

Introduction

We recognize that the privacy of your personal information is important. The purpose of this policy is to let you know how we handle the information collected through the use of this website. Portions of this website may describe privacy practices applicable to specific types of information or to information provided on specific web pages.

This policy does not apply to information collected through other means such as by telephone or in person, although that information may be protected by other privacy policies. As used in this policy, terms such as “we” or “our” and “Company” refer to Optum and its current and future affiliated entities, including our parent company UnitedHealth Group.

Any information you provide will be transferred to and processed by a computer server located within the United States of America, is subject to the laws of the United States of America, and may be subject to disclosure to the governments, courts or law enforcement or regulatory agencies of the United States of America, pursuant to that law.

Cookies

The Company uses various technologies, which may include “cookie” technology, to gather information from our website visitors such as pages visited and how often they are visited, and to enable certain features on this website. “Cookies” are small text files that may be placed on your computer when you visit a website or click on a URL. Cookies may include “single-session cookies” which generally record information during only a single visit to a website and then are erased, and “persistent” cookies, which are generally stored on a computer unless or until they are deleted or are set to expire.

You may disable cookies and similar items by adjusting your browser preferences at any time; however, this may limit your ability to take advantage of all the features on this website. You may also manage the use of “flash” technologies, with the Flash management tools available at Adobe's website.

We may use analytics companies to gather information and aggregate data from our website visitors such as which pages are visited and how often they are visited, and to enable certain features on our websites. Information is captured using various technologies and may include cookies. If such technology is used, you may opt-out of it by clicking on the “Opt-Out” link at the bottom of the home web page.

We may use and disclose your activity information unless restricted by this policy or by law. Some examples of the ways we use your activity information include:

  • Customizing your experience on the website including managing and recording your preferences.
  • Marketing, product development, and research purposes.
  • Tracking resources and data accessed on the website.
  • Developing reports regarding website usage, activity, and statistics.
  • Assisting users experiencing website problems.
  • Enabling certain functions and tools on this website.
  • Tracking paths of visitors to this website and within this website.

Your Personal Information

We collect, use and disclose your personal information with your consent or as permitted or required by law. Your consent may be expressed or implied, depending on the circumstances and the sensitivity of the personal information in question. In most cases, your consent to the collection, use and disclosure of personal information through the use of this website may be implied by the fact that you have contacted us or voluntarily provided your personal information to us as part of an agreement or purchase of a product or service. If you provide personal information about another person to us, we assume you have the consent of that individual to enable us to collect, use or disclose their information as described in this policy.

This website may include web pages that give you the opportunity to provide us with personal information about yourself. You do not have to provide us with personal information if you do not want to; however, that may limit your ability to use certain functions of this website or to request certain services or information.

We may use personal information for a number of purposes, either with your prior consent or as permitted by law, such as:

  • To respond to an email or particular request from you.
  • To personalize the website for you.
  • To process an application or service as requested by you.
  • To administer surveys and promotions.
  • To provide you with information that we believe may be useful to you, such as information about health products or services provided by us or other businesses.
  • To perform analytics and to improve our products and websites.
  • To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal process.
  • To protect someone's health, safety, or welfare.
  • To protect our rights, the rights of affiliates or related third parties, or take appropriate legal action, such as to enforce our Terms of Use.
  • To keep a record of our transactions and communications.
  • As otherwise necessary or useful for us to conduct our business, so long as such use is permitted by law.

We may use personal information to contact you through any contact information you provide through this website, including any email address, telephone number, cell phone number, text message number, or fax number. Please see the section below titled “Our Online Communications Practices.”

We may also share personal information within the Company, and we may combine personal information that you provide us through this website with other information we have received from you, whether online or offline, or from other sources such as from our vendors. For example, if you have purchased a product or service from us, we may combine personal information you provide through this website with information regarding your receipt of the product or service.

Sharing Personal Information

We will only share your personal information with third parties as outlined in this policy, with your prior consent when required, and as otherwise permitted by law.

We may share personal information if all or part of the Company is sold, merged, dissolved, acquired, or in a similar transaction.

We may share personal information in response to a court order, subpoena, search warrant, law or regulation. We may cooperate with law enforcement authorities in investigating and prosecuting activities that are illegal, violate our rules, or may be harmful to other visitors.

If you submit information or a posting to a chat room, bulletin board, or similar “chat” related portion of this website, the information you submit along with your screen name will be visible to all visitors, and such visitors may share with others. Therefore, please be thoughtful in what you write and understand that this information may become public.

We may also share personal information with other third party companies that we collaborate with or hire to perform services on our behalf. For example, we may hire a company to help us send and manage email, and we might provide the company with your email address and certain other information in order for them to send you an email message on our behalf. Similarly, we may hire companies to host or operate some of our websites and related computers and software applications.

Website and Information Security

We maintain reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards designed to protect the information that you provide on this website. However, no security system is impenetrable and we cannot guarantee the security of our website, nor can we guarantee that the information you supply 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.

Personal information is retained for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it is collected, subject to a longer period if the information is relevant to an access request or legal requirements.

Our Online Communication Practices

We may send electronic newsletters, notification of account status, and other communications on a periodic basis to various individuals and organizations. We may also send email communications regarding topics such as general health benefits, website updates, health conditions, and general health topics. We obtain appropriate consent for such communications and offer an opt-out or unsubscribe mechanisms as required by law. As examples, you may opt-out as provided for in a specific email communication or contact us as described below in the section “Contact Us.” Please be aware that opt-outs may not apply to certain types of communications, such as account status, website updates, or other communications.

Accuracy

We make all reasonable efforts to ensure that personal information collected, used and disclosed for its intended purpose is accurate and complete.

Access and Correction

Individuals have the right to request access to personal information held about them and the right to correct it unless a legal exemption applies.

This website may permit you to view your visitor profile and related personal information and to request changes to such information. If this function is available, we will include a link on this website with a heading such as “My Profile” or similar words. Clicking on the link will take you to a page through which you may review your visitor profile and related personal information. If this feature is not available, requests for access should be directed to us in writing as described below in the section “Contact Us.”

Requests for access to or correction of personal information should be directed to the below. Requests must be made in writing. Before granting a request for access, we must verify that the request is made by the individual concerned. Requests for access must include the respective requestor’s mailing address to which the information should be sent and a photocopy of his/her signature (e.g., photocopy of a driver’s license). An appointment may be made with an individual, where necessary, to clarify a request for access or correction. When responding to an access request, we will make such personal information available in a form that is generally understandable and will explain any abbreviations or codes.

At any time, an individual can challenge the accuracy or completeness of his or her personal information in our records. If he or she successfully demonstrates that the personal information in our records is inaccurate or incomplete, we will amend the personal information as required. Where appropriate, we will transmit the amended information to third parties having access to that personal information.

We will attempt to respond to written requests for access to or correction of personal information not later than thirty (30) days after receipt of such requests. We will advise the requester in writing if we cannot meet this time limit. Individuals have the right to make a complaint to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of B.C. (or other applicable privacy commissioner) in respect of this time limit and our handling of the request for access or correction.

We will not charge costs for individuals to access their personal information in our records or to access our privacy practices without first providing them with an estimate of the approximate costs, if any.

In certain circumstances we may deny access to information and/or refuse to correct information held. For example, the Company may not provide access to certain personal information when the access would reveal personal information about another individual, the personal information is protected by solicitor/client privilege or we are prevented by law. The Company may refuse to correct information, for example, if the information is subject to interpretation or is an opinion. In such a circumstance, we may not change the record, but may annotate the record to indicate the requestor’s view. If a request for access or correction is denied, the Company will explain this decision in writing.

Contact Us

To contact us regarding this policy and our related privacy practices, please email or write to us at: privacy@optum.com or Optum Privacy Office, MN051, 13625 Technology Drive, Eden Prairie, MN 55344. If you believe we or any company associated with us has misused any of your information please contact us immediately and report such misuse.

Effective Date

The effective date of this policy is November 1, 2014.

Changes to this Website Privacy Policy

We may change this policy. If we do so, such change will appear on this page of our website. We will also provide appropriate notice and choices to you, on this website and in other appropriate locations, based on the scope and extent of changes. You may always visit this policy to learn of any updates.