At Nova, we have always put a high priority on protecting participant’s personal information. We value the relationship we have with our clients, their plans and plan participants. Nova is committed to protecting information with administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to prevent unauthorized access and defend against threats and hazards to its security and integrity. We consistently review and revise our internal standards and best practices. We also require these same standards of our business associates, subcontractors and vendors.

Nova trains employees on a regular basis about the importance of protection of your personal information. We protect the privacy of your information in accordance with applicable federal and state privacy laws including the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. The following is a list of some of the safeguards that have been put in place to protect participant’s personal and medical information:

• All our computer systems are password-protected.
• We encrypt sensitive company e-mail and the data on all company laptops.
• We protect our networks from unauthorized users with firewall and anti-virus software.
• Our Information Technology Department approves all hardware and software purchases, installations, maintenance, and upgrades.
• We verify our technical security with outside security experts on a regular basis.
• We restrict access to our buildings by requiring our employees to wear photo security cards. In addition, our employees are required to stop individuals who are not wearing ID cards.
• All our buildings are monitored by surveillance cameras 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Our employees are required to use secure trash disposal bins for all paper and electronic materials.
• We require vendors and contractors to sign confidentiality agreements, and we make them agree in contracts to protect data.
• If a security incident does occur, we take swift action to limit any potential information disclosure.
• We use technical and legal measures to the utmost degree possible. We also let members know if their information has been disclosed.

Details on how your medical information may be used and disclosed and how you can access this information may be obtained by contacting your employer for a copy of your plan’s notice of privacy practices.

If you have questions about how we use or protect your health information, please contact Nova’s Information Risk Office at (716) 631-3001 or 1-800-247-1466. You can also send us questions by e-mail to memberservice@novahealthcare.com.

Revised 09/05/2014