ASHLink
Privacy Statement
American Specialty Health (“ASH” or “we”) values its customers and respects their privacy. ASH is committed to using customer information responsibly. We will not release, sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party without your permission, except when we believe in good faith that the law requires it, or to protect our rights and properties, or as expressly otherwise stated in this Privacy Statement. We also do not knowingly share your personal information with any third party for such third party’s direct marketing use.
The following privacy statement discloses the privacy policy for ASHLink.com by describing:
• The personal information ASHLink may collect;
• Why the personal information is collected;
• How the personal information will be used;
• The choices customers have about the collection and use of personal information.
For any questions about this privacy policy, please contact us directly. ASH will respond to any questions within 10 business days from the date of receipt. Contact ASH directly through any means noted at the end of this privacy statement.
If information practices change, ASH will post the revised policy on ASHLink or will notify customers through direct communication.
What kind of information does ASHLink collect upon Opt-in?
The information collected may be considered Personal Health Information (PHI) and Personally-Identifiable Information (PII). ASH collects only the minimum PHI and PII necessary in order to complete, process and respond to an online request.
What sections of ASHLink collect PHI and PII?
ASH collects PHI or PII in the Administrative Appeals, Grievances, Member Benefits, and Contact Us sections of ASHLINk.
• The Administrative Appeals section requires a name, date of birth, home phone number, work phone number, address, health plan name, and a description of Appeal.
• The Grievance section requires a name, date of birth, home phone number, work phone number, address, health plan name, and a description of Grievance.
• The Member Benefits sections requires a last name, medical ID#, date of birth, and zip code in order to view benefits with ASH.
• The Contact Us form collects information such as a name, e-mail address, mailing address, and/or telephone number.
Why is PHI and PII collected?
PHI and PII is used solely to address customer requests regarding Administrative Appeals, Grievances, Member Benefits, and Contact Us sections of the Web site. ASHLink will identify the sole reasons for collecting PHI and PII at the time of submittal.
A customer may always choose not to provide PHI and PII. However, should there be a refusal to provide PHI and PII ASHLink will not be able to perform the requested functions.
How does ASH use PHI and PII?
ASH collects PHI and PII (including, but not limited to name, e-mail address, mailing address, and/or telephone number) when user commences communications with ASH.
If you provide your e-mail address, postal address, and/or telephone number to us, we will collect and store such information and may use it to communicate with you at your request and may also, subject to compliance with applicable law, send you marketing/promotional communications about ASH’s and/or our partners’ products and services that may be of interest to you. When any personal or general information is sent through ASHLink the information is given only to the person best suited to process the request, answer questions, or resolve concerns. Customers may also be contacted via phone, U.S. Mail or e-mail if ASH needs to clarify information submitted or if ASH feels the requested information is best conveyed via phone, U.S. Mail or email.
Under what circumstances does ASH share information with third parties?
ASH may provide reputable third party vendors with aggregate statistics regarding customers, ASHLink traffic patterns, and related site information. The information provided will not include PHI or PII, meaning there will be no personal information. In addition, ASH may release account information to a third party when ASH believes, in good faith, that such release is reasonably necessary to:
i. enable such third parties to provide services and support for the operation and maintenance of ASHLink.com;
ii. comply with law;
iii. enforce or apply the terms of any user agreements;
iv. protect the rights, property or safety of ASH, ASH users, or others.
Furthermore, if we are involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of business or assets, information collected from and about our users (including PHI and PII) may be transferred to one or more third parties involved in such transaction and, upon such transfer, the relevant third-party privacy policy or policies may govern further use of the information. In the event of such a change, we will endeavor to notify our users of the change as well as any choices our users may have regarding the change.
How can users Opt-Out of collection of PHI or PII?
To Opt-Out of providing PHI or PII while using ASHLink, contact ASH directly using the service@ashn.com or the contact information provided at the end of this privacy statement, rather than using the Contact Us form.
Please be aware, if PHI or PII is not provided ASH will not be able to contact a customer to resolve issues.
What are ASH's limitations on amendments, deletion, or removal of PHI and PII?
Members maintain the right to amend PHI or PII if the member believes the PHI or PII is inaccurate or incorrect. A request for an amendment must be made in writing on American Specialty Health’s (ASH) Member Request to Amend Protected Health Information form, available online or upon request through the contact information at the end of this privacy statement. Failure to fully complete all sections of the form may result in the form being returned to you. Response to the request for amendment will be issued within 30 days of receipt of the completed form. However, ASH may obtain one 30-day extension by sending the member a written notice stating the reason for the delay and the expected date of the response.
ASH may deny the member’s amendment request under the following circumstances:
• The PHI or PII is accurate and complete.
• The request for amendment was made verbally.
• The request does not state a reason for the amendment
• ASH did not create the PHI or PII, unless the originator is not available to act on the request.
PHI and PII cannot be removed from the system and will be retained for a minimum of 10 years, as prescribed by state or federal law and in accordance with ASH’s record retention policy. User accounts, however, may be disabled upon written request, using the contact information at the end of this privacy statement.
How can users Opt-Out of receiving communications from ASH?
If you provide your e-mail address, postal address, and/or telephone number to us, we may send you information about ASH’s products and services that may be of interest to you. You may opt out of receiving further such communications from us at any time by contacting us as described at the end of this Privacy Statement. To stop receiving further such communications via email, you can also use the “unsubscribe” link contained in an email you have previously received from us. For users who have requested to be removed from our email, postal mail, and/or telephone contact lists, we will add them to our internal do-not-contact lists to ensure the request is honored.
How does ASH protect the privacy of minors?
ASH is concerned about the safety of children when they use the Internet. This web site is not intended for use by persons under the age of majority (e.g., under the age of 18 in California). If ASH becomes aware that a subscriber is under the age of 18 and has registered, ASH will remove his or her personally identifiable registration information from our files.
What are cookies? How does ASH use cookies on its sites?
A cookie is a small data file that Websites often store on a computer's hard drive when their Websites are visited. A cookie may contain information, such as a unique user ID that is used to track the pages of the Websites visited. ASHLink uses cookies to enhance your experience while navigating our Website by storing and tracking your preferences.
Your browser is probably set to accept cookies. However, if you would prefer not to receive cookies, you can change your browser settings to refuse them. If you choose to have your browser refuse cookies, it is possible that some areas of our Website will not function properly when you view them, and you may have to enter personal information every time you use the Website.
What are Do Not Track signals and How does ASH respond to them?
A Do-Not-Track signal is a mechanism contained in some users’ web browsers that provides website visitors the ability to request a website to not record and collect information about the consumer’s online activity while visiting a website. To ensure the best user experience, ASHLink will ignore “Do Not Track” signals if ASHLink receives such a signal from a user’s web browser.
How does ASH ensure information is secure?
In order to maintain the confidentiality of a customer’s PHI and PII ASH enforces strict company-wide policies regarding privacy, security, and confidentiality on staff members as well as ASHLink. ASH limits access to customer PHI and PII to only the appropriate ASH staff members. For instance, where a grievance or appeal is submitted, only ASH’s grievance and appeals staff assigned the request and ASH’s information systems staff who maintain ASHLink may view the PHI and PII.
ASH has an organizational commitment to protecting privacy and security. All employees who work on ASHLink are aware of security policies and practices through employee orientation and annual refresher training. PHI and PII is secured in an isolated database with tightly restricted access. Employees authorized to view this information are authenticated prior to gaining such access.
ASHLink reviews online security on an ongoing basis. In addition to daily security administration and response activities, the ASHLink environment undergoes an overall security review on an annual basis.
What is ASH’s advertising policy?
ASH does not allow third-party advertising on any of its Web sites.
What is ASH’s policy regarding links to other Web sites and services?
ASHLink links to other sites to verify participation in programs that protect privacy and security. ASHLink also links to Adobe.com to allow users the capability to view and print PDF documents located on the site. No PII or PHI is shared with these sites. The appropriateness of links to external sites is reviewed semi annually.
How can users contact ASH with questions or for more information?
Questions may be submitted online using ASH’s contact us page. ASH is a privately held corporation. All Web site operations are conducted and maintained by staff affiliated with ASH. American Specialty Health Incorporated is a Delaware corporation with a major corporate office located at 10221 Wateridge Circle, San Diego, CA 92121.
• U.S. Mail
ASHA
P.O. Box 509077
San Diego, CA 92150-9077
• By Phone
(800) 972-4226 (toll free)
Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. (PST)
• E-mail
