Preferred Eyecare Providers, Inc.: Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy effective as of April 14, 2003 is made by Preferred Eyecare Providers, Inc. (PEP) with covered entities (business associates, customers and eyecare providers) for the purpose of compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

When, in the provision of products, programs, and services to covered entities or their customers, PEP’s representatives receive or have access to Protected Health Information (PHI) received from such covered entities, PEP shall be bound under the following terms and conditions:

Permitted uses and Disclosures: PEP may use and disclose PHI to the extent necessary and appropriate to fill orders for products, to provide programs, and to provide services to covered entities for and on behalf of their patients (customers) and as necessary for the proper management administration, and legal responsibilities of PEP, and as required by law.
Obligations: Inasmuch as PEP uses telephone, mail, and electronic transmission to transact business with its covered entities, PEP agrees to protect PHI it obtains in connection with such business transactions as follows.
1. PEP will not use or disclose PHI other than as permitted by this agreement or as required by law.
2. PEP agrees to use appropriate safeguards to prevent use or disclosure of PHI other than as provided for in this agreement.
3. PEP agrees to cooperate with the covered entities and perform such activities as the covered entity may from time to time direct, in order to mitigate, to the extent practicable, any harmful effect that is either independently known to PEP or brought to PEP’s attention by covered entity, as a result of a wrongful use or disclosure of PHI by PEP
4. PEP agrees to report to covered entity any use or disclosure of PHI in violation of this agreement.
5. PEP agrees to ensure that its agents and subcontractors, to whom it provides PHI from covered entity, agrees to the same responsibilities and conditions that apply to PEP through this agreement.
6. At this request of covered entity, PEP agrees to provide access to PHI for a particular patient of covered entity, in order to meet the inspection and copying agreements of the privacy rule.
7. At the direction of covered entities or the Secretary of DHHS, PEP agrees to make internal practices, books, and records relating to the use and disclosure of PHI available to covered entity or to the Secretary of DHHS, for the purpose of the Secretary of DHHS determining covered entity is in compliance with the privacy rule.
8. PEP agrees to document all disclosures of PHI and information related to such disclosures as would be required for covered entity to respond to a request by an individual for an accounting of disclosures of PHA in accordance with the privacy rule.
9. PEP agrees to honor any restrictions or the use or disclosure of PHI that covered entity agrees to, providing covered entity notifies PEP of such restriction.
10. PEP will to the extent that covered entities and PEP agree in writing that PEP shall maintain PHI as part of a Designated Record Set, upon covered entities request, provide access and make amendments to such PHI, in order to meet the requirements under HIPAA.
11. When PEP ceases to sell products to, provide programs to, or perform services for on behalf of covered entity, PEP will destroy all PHI received or if such destruction of PHI is not feasible, continue to abide by the terms set for in this agreement with respect to PHI.
Amendments: PEP may amend these Privacy Policy Terms and conditions from time to time if PEP determines amendment is reasonably necessary to ensure compliance with amendments to or change in the interpretation of HIPAA or any of the HIPAA regulations, or to accommodate change in policies, processes or procedures used by PEP to protect PHI. Any such amendment shall be effective thirty (30) days from the date written notice of the amendment was sent to covered entity. If the covered entity initiates or accepts any transmitted transactions, or services from or through PEP involving access to PHI after the date on which amendment is effective covered entity will be considered to have agreed to the amended terms and conditions.
Termination: Covered entity may terminate this HIPAA agreement if PEP fails to cure or take substantial steps to cure a materiel breach of this HIPAA agreement within a reasonable period of time after receiving written notice of such material breach from covered entity.

Preferred Eyecare Providers, Inc. takes your privacy seriously. Please read the following to learn more about our privacy policy.

What This Privacy Policy Covers

This policy covers how Preferred Eyecare Providers, Inc. treats personal information that Preferred Eyecare Providers, Inc. collects and receives, including information related to your past use of Preferred Eyecare Providers, Inc. products and services. Personal information is information about you that is personally identifiable like your name, social security number, address, email address, or phone number, and that is not otherwise publicly available.

This policy does not apply to the practices of companies that Preferred Eyecare Providers, Inc. does not own or control, or to people that Preferred Eyecare Providers, Inc. does not employ or manage.

Information Sharing and Disclosure

Preferred Eyecare Providers, Inc. does not rent, sell, or share personal information about you with other people or nonaffiliated companies.

We respond to subpoenas, court orders, or legal process, or to establish or exercise our legal rights or defend against legal claims; we believe it is necessary to share information in order to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding illegal activities, suspected fraud, situations involving potential threats to the physical safety of any person, violations of Preferred Eyecare Providers, Inc.'s terms of use, or as otherwise required by law.

We will transfer information about you if Preferred Eyecare Providers, Inc. is acquired by or merged with another company. In this event, Preferred Eyecare Providers, Inc. will notify you before information about you is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

Confidentiality and Security

We limit access to personal information about you to employees who we believe reasonably need to come into contact with that information to provide products or services to you or in order to do their jobs.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

Preferred Eyecare Providers, Inc. may update this policy. We will notify you about significant changes in the way we treat personal information by sending a notice to the primary email address specified in your Preferred Eyecare Providers, Inc. account or by placing a prominent notice on our site.

Questions and Suggestions

Preferred Eyecare Providers, Inc. values your right to privacy and we will not release any information regarding our members to any third party. The information that you provide to us will only be used to process your membership enrollment , in filling orders for you, fufilling the administrave task necessary to process orders and payments, and in communicating with you in the future. It will enable us to send you Preferred Eyecare Providers, Inc. member updates, including email regarding new benefits and services, as well as new products and special offers.

We want you to enjoy all the savings discounts that are available to you as a member of Preferred Eyecare Providers, Inc.. But just as important, we want you to be assured that the information that you entrust to us stays private and confidential.

Thank you for coming to our web site. We hope to have the honor of serving you as a member of Preferred Eyecare Providers, Inc. for many years to come.