Introduction
Health Plan of San Joaquin (HPSJ) is committed to providing access to quality, comprehensive health care. Likewise, HPSJ strives to protect your personal and health care information that we collect. This Privacy Statement (Policy) describes how HPSJ uses the personal information that you provide and other information collected from your use of HPSJ websites (Sites).
By accessing our Sites, you are accepting the practices described in this Statement. If you do not agree to the terms of this Policy, please do not use our Sites
Personal Information
In order to manage and provide functionality to users of our Sites, HPSJ collects information about you and your devices when you visit our Sites; the information may include your c Internet address, the type of operating system and browser software you are using to access our Sites, and pages visited.
When you visit our Sites, we do not know who you are unless you choose to identify yourself to us. Unless expressly requested, you are not required to provide us with personal information in order to use our Sites. For instance, certain parts of our Sites require you to provide identifying information and use individual passwords in order to submit personal information or to access personal information that you have previously given to us. You also may have to provide personal information, such as your name and phone number, to use certain features, such as filing a member grievance. Please note that you may choose not to access those protected portions of our Sites at all, in order to remain anonymous.
Use and Disclosure of Personal Information
HPSJ keeps your personal information confidential unless there is a legitimate business reason or law requiring disclosure. In compliance with applicable state and federal laws, HPSJ may disclose your information to third parties such as our Business Associates, Network Providers involved in your care and a Health Information Exchange for treatment, payment and health plan operations in accordance with the Medi Cal Program.
Additionally, if you choose to participate in our health education programs, we may use your personal information to allow us to send you customized health care information. HPSJ does not use your personal information for any promotional or marketing purposes.
Security
Protecting your personal information is a high priority for HPSJ. We have implemented administrative, physical, and technical features to protect your information in our information systems, including the use of, as appropriate, firewalls encryption (data scrambling), monitoring, access controls, and other controls where appropriate. Only HPSJ personnel or agents with a legitimate business reason to access your personal information, may access it. Any employee or agent who violates HPSJ privacy and security policies is subject to disciplinary action, including termination of employment or contract and civil or criminal prosecution.
Some areas of our Websites use encryption to promote secure communication of personal information. Because some areas of our Sites do not use encryption, in order to increase the security of your information, you should verify that you only provide your information on secured areas. You can verify that the area you are accessing is secure by looking in the browser for the image of a padlock. In addition to the padlock, “HTTPS” should be the first part of the URL or website address (compared to HTTP without the “S”); having both the padlock and the “HTTPS” present indicates that this area of the site is secured with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption software. If you have concerns about the security of the website, you may want to provide personal information to HPSJ by phone instead of electronically.
Policies for Children under 13
HPSJ does not knowingly collect any information from members under the age of 13. Our Sites are intended to be used by adults and does not intentionally distribute material for use by children under the age of 13. Our Sites should not be used by children under age 13 without consent by the child’s parent or guardian.
Cookies
HPSJ may place Internet “cookies” on the computer hard drive of visitors to our Sites. Cookies help us obtain information about your use of our Sites; they do not contain information about you or your health history.
Links to Other Websites
HPSJ’s Sites have numerous links to outside Internet pages, including social media platforms and Web sites that might have information on health topics of interest to you. HPSJ, however, does not sponsor or endorse any of these sites, nor does HPSJ make any guarantee, warranty, or representation regarding the accuracy of the information contained on the Web sites. In addition, HPSJ has no control over the privacy or security practices of external Web sites. You should read and understand the policies of all Web sites with respect to these practices. HPSJ provides external links for your general information and education only; you should NOT rely on this information for personal diagnosis or treatment. If you have questions, please contact your clinician.
Public Areas
Any information you share in public areas of our website, such as message boards, becomes public. This Policy does not apply to any information you choose to make public. Please be careful about what you share and do not post any Personal Information in public areas.
Additional Rights
You may have additional rights not described in this Policy, under applicable law. If you are or were a member of HPSJ and want information about your rights under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), see our Notice of Privacy Practices.
Questions about our Website
If you have questions about this Policy or the practices of HPSJ Sites, please contact:
Privacy Officer
Health Plan of San Joaquin
7751 S. Manthey Road
French Camp, CA 95207
Updates
Please review this Policy periodically for changes and updates. HPSJ reserves the right to make changes to any section of our Sites, including this Policy. The last Policy revision date is indicated below.
Effective: January 12, 2023