Online Security And Confidentiality

Are my medical records and claims records confidential?

We keep your medical and claims records confidential. Only the following have access to this information:

The US Office of Personnel Management (OPM), this plan and our subcontractors (our prescription drug program vendors for example) when they administer this contract;

This plan and appropriate third parties, such as other insurance plans and the Office of Workers' Compensations when coordinating benefit payments and subrogating claims;

Law enforcement officials when investigating and/or prosecuting alleged civil or criminal actions;

OPM and the General Accounting Office when conducting audits of this plan;

Individuals involved in bona fide medical research or education that does not disclose your identity; or

OPM when reviewing a disputed claim or defending litigation about a claim

As part of our administration of prescription drug benefits, we may disclose information about your prescription drug utilization, including the names of prescribing physicians, to any treating physicians or dispensing pharmacies.

Is this web site secure?

Security is based on the level of encryption supported by the Internet browser you use. Browsers that include support for Domestic-Grade encryption provide a greater level of security that those that offer only International-grade encryption.

The benefit and enrollment information on www.fepblue.org is not secure. However, the pages that request information from you and/or require you to submit personal information, such as those related to the mail service pharmacy, requesting an ID card and changing your address, are secure.

How do I know if this or any web site is secure?

A secure web site means that any information you send via the Internet is encrypted so that no one except for the intended recipient can read it.

When you access a web page, if you click your mouse on the Security button, which looks like an open or closed padlock, and is located in the tool bar, at the top of the web page, you will get security or encryption information about that page. There is also a padlock at the bottom left of the screen. When these padlocks are open or unlocked, the page is not secure. A closed or locked padlock means the page is secure or encrypted.

When you use secure parts of the fepblue.org web site, some of the pages are "frames" within the home site. For example, when you reorder prescriptions online from the mail service pharmacy, it looks like the page is not encrypted. However, rest assured that the refill application is encrypted and secure. The "frame," which is fepblue.org, is not secure and this is what the padlocks reflect.

Why do I need a password to access certain features of your web site?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires confidentiality of personal health information. To ensure compliance with HIPAA Privacy Regulations for our web site, we had to add a password for access to some features, such as our Customer eService feature. Without the use of a password, we would not be able to offer online access to this information.

Information coordinated by Paula Spurway, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

Updated December 2007.