Senior Whole Health of New York, Inc. dba “Senior Whole Health by Molina Healthcare” (“Senior Whole Health”, “we” or “our”) uses and shares protected health information about you to provide your health benefits as a Senior Whole Health member. We use and share your information to carry out treatment, payment and health care operations. We also use and share your information for other reasons as allowed and required by law. We have the duty to keep your health information private and to follow the terms of this Notice. The effective date of this Notice is October 1, 2021.
PHI means protected health information. PHI is health information that includes your name, Member number or other identifiers, and is used or shared by Senior Whole Health.
Why does Senior Whole Health use or share your PHI?
We use or share your PHI to provide you with health care benefits. Your PHI is used or shared for treatment, payment, and health care operations.
For Treatment
Senior Whole Health may use or share your PHI to give you, or arrange for, your medical care. This treatment also includes referrals between your doctors or other health care providers. For example, we may share information about your health condition with a specialist. This helps the specialist talk about your treatment with your doctor.
For Payment
Senior Whole Health may use or share PHI to make decisions on payment. This may include claims, approvals for treatment, and decisions about medical need. Your name, your condition, your treatment, and supplies given may be written on the bill. For example, we may let a doctor know that you have our benefits. We would also tell the doctor the amount of the bill that we would pay.
For Health Care Operations
Senior Whole Health may use or share PHI about you to run our health plan. For example, we may use information from your claim to let you know about a health program that could help you. We may also use or share your PHI to solve Member concerns. Your PHI may also be used to see that claims are paid right.
Health care operations involve many daily business needs. It includes but is not limited to, the following:
We will share your PHI with other companies (“business associates”) that perform different kinds of activities for our health plan. We may also use your PHI to give you reminders about your appointments. We may use your PHI to give you information about other treatment, or other health-related benefits and services.
When can Senior Whole Health use or share your PHI without getting written authorization (approval) from you?
In addition to treatment, payment and health care operations, the law allows or requires Senior Whole Health to use and share your PHI for several other purposes including the following:
Required by law
We will use or share information about you as required by law. We will share your PHI when required by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This may be for a court case, other legal review, or when required for law enforcement purposes.
Public Health
Your PHI may be used or shared for public health activities. This may include helping public health agencies to prevent or control disease.
Health Care Oversight
Your PHI may be used or shared with government agencies. They may need your PHI for audits.
Research
Your PHI may be used or shared for research in certain cases, such as when approved by a privacy or institutional review board.
Legal or Administrative Proceedings
Your PHI may be used or shared for legal proceedings, such as in response to a court order.
Law Enforcement
Your PHI may be used or shared with police for law enforcement purposes, such as to help find a suspect, witness or missing person.
Health and Safety
Your PHI may be shared to prevent a serious threat to public health or safety.
Government Functions
Your PHI may be shared with the government for special functions. An example would be to protect the President.
Victims of Abuse, Neglect or Domestic Violence
Your PHI may be shared with legal authorities if we believe that a person is a victim of abuse or neglect.
Workers Compensation
Your PHI may be used or shared to obey Workers Compensation laws.
Other Disclosures
Your PHI may be shared with funeral directors or coroners to help them do their jobs.
When does Senior Whole Health need your written authorization (approval) to use or share your PHI?
Senior Whole Health needs your written approval to use or share your PHI for a purpose other than those listed in this Notice. Senior Whole Health needs your authorization before we disclose your PHI for the following: (1) most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes; (2) uses and disclosures for marketing purposes; and (3) uses and disclosures that involve the sale of PHI. You may cancel a written approval that you have given us. Your cancellation will not apply to actions already taken by us because of the approval you already gave to us.
What are your health information rights?
You have the right to:
We will charge a reasonable fee for each list if you ask for this list more than once in a 12- month period. You will need to make your request in writing. You may use Senior Whole Health’s form to make your request.
You may make any of the requests listed above, or may get a paper copy of this Notice. Please call Senior Whole Health Member Services at the toll-free phone number on your Senior Whole Health ID card, 7 days a week, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., local time. TTY/ TDD users, please call 711.
What can you do if your rights have not been protected?
You may complain to Senior Whole Health and to the Department of Health and Human Services if you believe your privacy rights have been violated. We will not do anything against you for filing a complaint. Your care and benefits will not change in any way.
You may file a complaint with us at:
By Phone: Call Senior Whole Health Member Services at the toll-free phone number on your Senior Whole Health ID card, 7 days a week, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. TTY/TDD users, please call 711.
In Writing: Senior Whole Health Attention: Medicare Appeals and Grievances P.O. Box 22816 Long Beach, CA 90801
You may file a complaint with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at:
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Office for Civil Rights
200 Independence Ave., S.W.
Suite 509F, HHH Building
Washington, D.C. 20201
(800) 368-1019; (800) 537-7697 (TDD); (202) 619-3818 (FAX)
What are the duties of Senior Whole Health?
Senior Whole Health is required to:
This Notice is Subject to Change
Senior Whole Health reserves the right to change its information practices and terms of this Notice at any time. If we do, the new terms and practices will then apply to all PHI we keep. If we make any material changes, Senior Whole Health will post the revised Notice on our web site and send the revised Notice, or information about the material change and how to obtain the revised Notice, in our next annual mailing to our members then covered by Senior Whole Health.
Contact Information
If you have any questions, please contact the following office:
By Phone: Call Senior Whole Health Member Services at the toll-free phone number on your Senior Whole Health ID card, 7 days a week, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. TTY/TDD users, please call 711.
You can get this document for free in other formats, such as large print, braille, or audio. Call Senior Whole Health Member Services at the toll-free phone number on your Senior Whole Health ID card, 7 days a week, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. TTY/TDD users, please call 711. The call is free.