Notice of the Office of Personnel Management's Privacy Practices

It's important for you to understand your rights and the Privacy Policy of any health care providers you use. This information is specifically referring to Federal Employees, but similar policies apply to all health care providers, and you have a right to know.

By law, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which administers the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, is required to protect the privacy of your personal medical information. OPM is also required to give you this notice to tell you how OPM may use and give out ("disclose") your personal medical information held by OPM.

OPM will use and give out your personal medical information:

To you or someone who has the legal right to act for you (your personal representative),
To the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, if necessary, to make sure your privacy is protected,
To law enforcement officials when investigating and/or prosecuting alleged or civil or criminal actions, and
Where required by law.
OPM has the right to use and give out your personal medical information to administer the FEHB Program. For example:

To communicate with your FEHB health plan when you or someone you have authorized to act on your behalf asks for our assistance regarding a benefit or customer service issue.
To review, make a decision, or litigate your disputed claim.
For OPM and the General Accounting Office when conducting audits.
OPM may use or give out your personal medical information for the following purposes under limited circumstances:

For Government healthcare oversight activities (such as fraud and abuse investigations),
For research studies that meet all privacy law requirements (such as for medical research or education), and
To avoid a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.
By law, OPM must have your written permission (an "authorization") to use or give out your personal medical information for any purpose that is not set out in this notice. You may take back ("revoke") your written permission at any time, except if OPM has already acted based on your permission.

By law, you have the right to:

See and get a copy of your personal medical information held by OPM.
Amend any of your personal medical information created by OPM if you believe that it is wrong or if information is missing, and OPM agrees. If OPM disagrees, you may have a statement of your disagreement added to your personal medical information.
Get a listing of those getting your personal medical information from OPM in the past 6 years. The listing will not cover your personal medical information that was given to you or your personal representative, any information that you authorized OPM to release, or that was given out for law enforcement purposes or to pay for your health care or a disputed claim.
Ask OPM to communicate with you in a different manner or at a different place (for example, by sending materials to a P.O. Box instead of your home address).
Ask OPM to limit how your personal medical information is used or given out. However, OPM may not be able to agree to your request if the information is used to conduct operations in the manner described above.
Get a separate paper copy of this notice.
For more information on exercising your rights set out in this notice, look at www.opm.gov/insure on the web. You may also call 202-606-0745 and ask for OPM's FEHB Program privacy official for this purpose.

If you believe OPM has violated your privacy rights set out in this notice, you may file a complaint with OPM at the following address:

Privacy Complaints
Office of Personnel Management
P.O. Box 707
Washington, DC 20004-0707
Filing a complaint will not affect your benefits under the FEHB Program. You also may file a complaint with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

By law, OPM is required to follow the terms in this privacy notice. OPM has the right to change the way your personal medical information is used and given out. If OPM makes any changes, you will get a new notice by mail within 60 days of the change. The privacy practices listed in this notice were effective April 14, 2003.