Email & SMS Communication

Collecting Information About You

When you visit our website, we collect information such as IP address, geographic location, Internet Service Provider and pages visited. This information is not personally identifiable and is used only to help us improve the design of and access to the website. It is not used to solicit business or to provide addresses for direct marketing material.

We use "cookie" technology to collect site statistical information and improve your customer experience. Cookies set by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts do not capture any personally identifiable information, such as your individual e-mail address.

We automatically collect some statistical data as you browse our websites. For example, we automatically collect your "IP address" used to connect your computer to the Internet, browser type and version, operating system and platform, average time spent on our site, pages viewed, information searched for, access times, "click stream data," and other relevant information about your online experience.

You may browse our Website anonymously by choosing not to provide us with any "personally identifiable information (PII)," such as your name or e-mail address, or choosing not to register during your visits to our sites. When you browse this way, we will not link your online activity with the accounts you may have with us.

What Do We Do With This Information?

If you choose to provide us with personal information over the Internet, such as by registering for a personalized account or online program or signing up for emails from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, we collect the information that you provide to us. We use this information when you register with us over the Internet to maintain, improve and administer our website, operate our business, provide products and services you request, administer your account, inform you about products and services that might be of interest to you, and personalize your online experience.

In order to carry out certain business functions, we sometimes hire other companies to perform services on our behalf. We may disclose this personal information, such as the e-mail address you have supplied when registering, to these companies to enable them to perform these services, but they are required to safeguard this data and are not authorized to use it for any other purpose than completing their contractual requirements to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.

We do not share, sell or otherwise distribute your information with entities outside of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts who may want to market to you their own products and services. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts uses your information to process applications, complete transactions, respond to your requests, deliver the products and services in which you enroll or for which you apply, and also to notify you of information, updates, or special offers, that we think may interest you. We also use your information to provide you with a more effective experience while on our website. In order to do this, we may process your information or combine it with other information that is publicly available. This enables us to customize your Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts experience.

A copy of Our Commitment to Confidentiality is available for your review. This Commitment to Confidentiality details the privacy policies of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts with respect to its members. We recognize that some users of our websites may not be Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts members. Personal health information that we receive about our members is always treated in the manner described in this document.

Una copia de Nuestro Compromiso a la Confidencialidad está disponible para su revisión.

How Do We Use Your Email Address?

When you supply us with your e-mail address, we may use it for the following purposes:

Occasional Updates and Valuable Offers. We may send you e-mail updates about our products and services.
Regularly Scheduled E-mail Newsletters related to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts products or services in which you are enrolled.

You may also be able to elect to receive other types of e-mail messages from us, including newsletters, alerts, or notifications. Communications from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts are a great way to get useful information about coverage, annual plan materials, discounts, and health and wellness initiatives. Before using e-mail to communicate with you for other reasons, or for purposes that are different from what you have already consented, we will send you an e-mail asking your permission to do so.

How Do You Opt-out of Communications?

To opt-out of our email communications, please send an email to emailmarketing@bcbsma.com requesting to be removed from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts email list.

If you have opted-in to receive certain e-mails from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, but decide that you no longer wish to subscribe, please follow the instructions that are located at the bottom of those e-mail messages in order to opt-out.

Social Media

The purpose of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts ("BCBSMA") social media sites are to share up-to-date information with our members, agents, employers, providers, and the public ("Visitors"). All information, including comments, photographs, statements and opinions ("Content") by Visitors on BCBSMA's social media sites does not reflect the opinions, policies and/or ideas of BCBSMA and/or its employees, officers, and directors. BCBSMA accepts no responsibility for the Content by Visitors, and BCBSMA does not endorse this Content.

Visitors should not post, upload or attach Content:

which contains personal health information, financial and/or other private information of any person or entity;
which is threatening, defamatory, pornographic, intimidating, abusive, obscene, discriminatory, indecent, misleading, and or harassing;
which infringes and/or violates the copyright or intellectual property rights of a third party or person;
which is spam or advertises or offers to sell personal goods, products and/or services;
which is unlawful, illegal, and/or does not comply with the law; and/or,
which contains viruses, worms or corrupted files.

BCBSMA regularly monitors Visitor postings on its social media sites. BCBSMA reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to remove at any time any Content posted by Visitors for any reason including if BCBSMA deems such Content inappropriate.

The information provided by BCBSMA on its social media sites is not intended used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health care provider with any questions regarding personal health or medical conditions. Do not rely on anything you have read on this Facebook page in deciding to seek or obtain medical advice, even if the person who posted the information claims to be a health care professional or otherwise. For issues related to health insurance claims, please contact customer service through the number on the back of your ID card. This site is not intended as a customer response/service site.

BCBSMA appreciates Visitor feedback. By posting Content and files on BCBSMA's social media sites, Visitors understand that they are providing information voluntarily, with no expectation of compensation. BCBSMA may use, modify, reproduce, and/or distribute these Materials and files for its own business purposes without payment and in accordance with applicable law. BCBSMA employees are encouraged to interact with BCBSMA on its social media sites and adhere to policy in all social media activity.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts may provide experiences on social media platforms such as Facebook®, Twitter® and LinkedIn® that enable online sharing and collaboration among users who have registered to use them. Any content you post, such as pictures, information, opinions, or any personal information that you make available to other participants on these social platforms, is subject to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policies of those platforms. Please refer to them to better understand your rights and obligations with regard to such content.

Flash Objects

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts uses Flash objects (sometimes referred to as "Local Shared Objects") in two ways. First, as part of our solution for online authentication, we use Flash objects to help us recognize you and your computer when you come back to our site. Second, for our pages running Adobe® Flash® content (demos and tutorials with moving content), we use Flash objects to determine your browser type and version of Adobe Flash in order for you to view the content. As with cookies, we never store personal information in these Flash object files unless encrypted. We do not use Flash objects for any online behavioral advertising purpose. Deleting cookies does not delete Flash objects. You can learn more about Flash objects - including how to control and disable them - through the Adobe interface. If you choose to delete Flash objects from our Sites, then you may not be able to access and use all or part of the Site or benefit from the information and services offered.

Mobile

Sometimes, we record your phone number. We record your phone number when you send it to us; ask us to remember it; or make a call or send a text message or SMS to or from BCBSMA. Most of the other information we collect for mobile, such as your device and hardware IDs and device type, the request type, your carrier, your carrier user ID, the content of your request, and basic usage stats about your device and use of BCBSMA's products and services does not by itself identify you to BCBSMA, though it may be unique or consist of or contain information that you consider personal. If you use location-enabled products and services, such as Google Maps for mobile, you may be sending us location information. This information may reveal your actual location, such as GPS data, or it may not, such as when you submit a partial address to look at a map of the area.

Certain use of our products and services allow you to download and/or personalize the content you receive from us. For these products and services, we will record information about your downloads and preferences, along with any information you provide yourself. If the product or service requires you to log in with a BCBSMA Account, this information will be associated with your BCBSMA Account.

All requests must be sent through your mobile carrier's network and your carrier may have access to it. For information regarding your carrier's treatment of your information, please consult your carrier's privacy policies. We may share your information with certain third parties we use to perform certain functions, such as billing and text message or SMS delivery. These third parties will be required to treat your information in accordance with the applicable BCBSMA privacy policies. We may also share some information with your wireless operator in order to perform customer service functions.

If you choose to participate in any BCBSMA program that involves the use of text messaging (either sending or receiving), BCBSMA will not charge you for the text messaging; however, standard text messaging rates will apply to each text message sent or received as provided in your wireless rate plan (contact your carrier for pricing plans and details).