Notice of Privacy Practices - Molina Healthcare of California
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY
Molina Healthcare of California ( "Molina Healthcare", "Molina","we" or "our") ") provides health care benefits to you through the Medi-Cal program. Molina uses and shares protected health information about you to provide your health benefits. 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, 2022.
PHI stands for these words, protected health information. PHI means health information that includes your name, member number or other identifiers, and is used or shared by Molina.
Why does Molina 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
Molina 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
Molina 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
Molina 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.
- Improving quality;
- Actions in health programs to help members with certain conditions (such as asthma);
- Conducting or arranging for medical review;
- Legal services, including fraud and abuse detection and prosecution programs;
- Actions to help us obey laws;
- Address member needs, including solving complaints and grievances.
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 Molina use or share your PHI without getting written authorization (approval) from you?
The law allows or requires Molina 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 to check how our health plan is providing services.
Legal or Administrative Proceedings
Your PHI may be shared with a court, investigator or lawyer if it is about the operation of Medi-Cal. This may involve fraud or actions to recover money from others, when the Medi-Cal program has provided your health care benefits.
When does Molina need your written authorization (approval) to use or share your PHI?
Molina needs your written approval to use or share your PHI for a purpose other than those listed in this notice. Molina 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?
- Request Restrictions on PHI Uses or Disclosures (Sharing of Your PHI)
- Request Confidential Communications of PHI
- Review and Copy Your PHI
- Amend Your PHI
You may ask that we amend (change) your PHI. This involves only those records kept by us about you as a member. You will need to make your request in writing. You may use Molina’s form to make your request. You may file a letter disagreeing with us if we deny the request.
- Receive an Accounting of PHI Disclosures (Sharing of your PHI)
- for treatment, payment or health care operations;
- to persons about their own PHI;
- sharing done with your authorization;
- incident to a use or disclosure otherwise permitted or required under applicable law;
- PHI released in the interest of national security or for intelligence purposes; or
- as part of a limited data set in accordance with applicable law.
You may ask us not to share your PHI to carry out treatment, payment or health care operations. You may also ask us not to share your PHI with family, friends or other persons you name who are involved in your health care. However, we are not required to agree to your request. You will need to make your request in writing. You may use Molina's form to make your request.
You may ask Molina to give you your PHI in a certain way or at a certain place to help keep your PHI private. We will follow reasonable confidential communications requests to provide PHI in a particular form or format, if it is readily producible in the requested form and format, or at alternative locations. You will need to make your request in writing or by electronic transmission.
You have a right to review and get a copy of your PHI held by us. This may include records used in making coverage, claims and other decisions as a Molina member. You will need to make your request in writing. You may use Molina’s form to make your request. We may charge you a reasonable fee for copying and mailing the records. In certain cases, we may deny the request. Important Note: We do not have complete copies of your medical records. If you want to look at, get a copy of, or change your medical records, please contact your doctor or clinic.
You may ask that we give you a list of certain parties that we shared your PHI with during the six years prior to the date of your request. The list will not include PHI shared as follows:
You may make any of the requests listed above, or may get a paper copy of this Notice. Please call our Member Services Department at 1-888-665-4621.
How do I complain?
If you believe that we have not protected your privacy and wish to complain, you may file a complaint (or grievance) by calling or writing us at:
Molina Healthcare of California
Manager of Member Services
200 Oceangate - Suite 100
Long Beach, CA 90802
Phone: 1-888-665-4621
Privacy Officer
c/o Office of Legal Services
Privacy Officer and Senior Staff Counsel
California Department of Health Care Services
1501 Capitol Avenue
P.O. Box 997413, MS 0010
Sacramento, CA. 95899-7413
(916)440-7700
Email: privacyofficer@dhcs.ca.gov
Or
Office for Civil Rights - Centralized Case Management Operations
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
200 Independence Ave., S.W.
Washington D.C. 20201
1-800-368-1019; 1-800-537-7697 (TDD);
(202) 619-3818 (FAX)
What are the duties of Molina?
- Keep your PHI private;
- Give you written information such as this on our duties and privacy practices about your PHI;
- Provide you with a notice in the event of any breach of your unsecured PHI;
- Not use or disclose your genetic information for underwriting purposes;
- Follow the terms of this Notice.
This Notice is Subject to Change
Molina 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, Molina 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 Molina.
Contact Information
Molina Healthcare of California
Attention: Manager of Member Services
200 Oceangate - Suite 100
Long Beach, CA 90802
Phone:1-888-665-4621
Download a printable copy of the Notice of Privacy Practices [English | En Español]
