Confidentiality for domestic violence victims
APPLICABLE TO ALL GUARDIAN INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP ACCIDENT AND HEALTH INSURANCE POLICIES
New York Insurance Law § 2612, New York Insurance Regulation 11 NYCRR 244, 215 Illinois Insurance Code 5/355b, and 50 Illinois Administrative Code §2028 require that The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian) establish confidentiality protocols to protect certain personal information of victims of domestic violence. A victim of domestic violence, the legal representative of the victim or, if a child is the covered person, the child’s parent or guardian may request to receive policy information at an alternate address, telephone number, or other method of contact.
Although not required by state law, Guardian applies this or similar procedures to any victim of domestic violence without regard to state of resident or policy situs.
By submitting a valid order of protection or a reasonable request for confidentiality:
Guardian is prohibited from disclosing certain personal information about the victim(s) without the express consent of the person making the request, and
Guardian may not disclose: (1) the address, telephone number, or any other personally identifying information of the person who made the request or child for whose benefit a request was made; (2) the nature of the health care services provided; or (3) the name or address of the provider of the covered services.
To submit a written request to Guardian, please complete a Confidential Communication Request Form and mail to:
The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America
Attn: Customer Relations Unit
6255 Sterners Way
Bethlehem, PA 18017
To revoke an Order of Protection or a reasonable request, a victim of domestic violence should submit a written request with a notarized, sworn statement to The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America.
For New York Residents
For further information on domestic violence services, you can contact the NYS Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline by dialing 1-800-942-6906 or by accessing the website for the New York State Office to End Domestic & Gender - Based Violence at the following link: www.opdv.ny.gov/help/dvhotlines.html
For Illinois Residents
For further information on domestic violence services, you can contact the State of Illinois Domestic Violence Helpline by dialing 1-877-TO END DV or 1-877-863-6338 (Voice) or 1-877-863-6339 (TTY). The hotline is toll free, confidential, multilingual, and open 24 hours. For more information go to: www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=30275