AlwaysAssist LOGIN
 

NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

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.

Starmount Life Insurance Company, Inc. and AlwaysCare Benefits, Inc. (collectively Starmount) are required by law to maintain the privacy of your health information and to provide you with notice of their legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your health information.

How Starmount May Use or Disclose Your Health Information

  1. Payment Functions. Starmount may use or disclose health information about you to determine eligibility for plan benefits, obtain premiums, facilitate payment for the treatment and services you receive from health care providers, determine plan responsibility for benefits, and to coordinate benefits.
  2. Health Care Operations. Starmount may use and disclose health information about you to carry out necessary insurance-related activities, including, but not limited to, underwriting, premium rating and other activities relating to plan coverage; conducting quality assessment and improvement activities; submitting claims for stop-loss coverage; conducting or arranging for medical review, legal services, audit services, and fraud and abuse detection programs.
  3. Required by Law. As required by law, Starmount may use and disclose your health information. Starmount may disclose medical information pursuant to a court order in judicial or administrative proceedings; to report information related to victims of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence; or to assist law enforcement officials in their law enforcement duties.
  4. Public Health. As required by law, Starmount may disclose your health information to public health authorities to prevent or control disease, injury or disability, or for other health oversight activities.
  5. Coroners, Medical Examiners and Funeral Directors. Starmount may disclose your health information to coroners, medical examiners and funeral directors. For example, this may be necessary to identify a deceased person.
  6. Organ and Tissue Donation. Your health information may be used or disclosed for cadaveric organ, eye or tissue donation purposes.
  7. Health and Safety. Starmount may disclose your health information to appropriate persons in order to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of a particular person or the general public.
  8. Government Functions. Starmount may disclose your health information for military, national security, prisoner and government benefits purposes.
  9. Worker’s Compensation. Starmount may disclose your health information as necessary to comply with worker’s compensation or similar laws.
  10. Disclosures to Plan Sponsors. Starmount may disclose your health information to the sponsor of your group health plan for purposes of administering benefits under the plan.

When Starmount May Not Use or Disclose Your Health Information

Except as described in this Notice of Privacy Practices, Starmount will not use or disclose your health information without written authorization from you. If you do authorize Starmount to use or disclose your health information for another purpose, you may revoke your authorization in writing at any time.

Statement of Your Health Information Rights

  1. Right to Request Restrictions. You have the right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your health information. Starmount is not required to agree to the restrictions that you request.
  2. Right to Request Confidential Communications. You have the right to receive your health information through alternative means or at an alternative location. Starmount is not required to agree to your request.
  3. Right to Inspect and Copy. You have the right to inspect and copy your health information. If you request a copy of the information, Starmount may charge you a reasonable fee to cover the copy expense.
  4. Right to Request a Correction. You have a right to request that Starmount amend your health information. Starmount is not required to change your health information
  5. Right to Accounting of Disclosures. You have the right to receive an accounting of disclosures of your health information. Starmount will provide one list per 12 month period free of charge; Starmount may charge you for additional lists requested within the same 12 month period.
  6. Right to Paper Copy. You have a right to receive a paper copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time.
  7. Right to Revoke Permission. You have the right to revoke your authorization to use or disclose your health information at any time, except to the extent that action has already been taken.

Starmount’s Obligations Under This Notice

Starmount is required by law to:

  1. Maintain the privacy of your health information.
  2. Provide you with a notice of its legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your health information.
  3. Abide by the terms of this Notice.
  4. Notify you if Starmount is unable to agree to a requested restriction on how your information is used or disclosed.
  5. Accommodate reasonable requests you may have to communicate health information by alternative means or at alternative locations.
  6. Obtain your written authorization to use or disclose your health information for reasons other than those listed above and permitted by law.

Starmount reserves the right to amend this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time in the future and to make the new Notice provisions effective for all health information that Starmount maintains. Revised Notices will be distributed to you by mail.

Complaints

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with:

Privacy Officer
AlwaysCare Benefits, Inc.
8485 Goodwood Blvd
Baton Rouge, LA 70806-7878

You may also file a complaint with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Starmount will not retaliate against you in any way for filing a complaint.

Effective Date of This Notice: April 14, 2003.

BACK TO TOP