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HHS Privacy Policy NoticeThank you for visiting our HHS website and for reviewing our Privacy Policy. Our policy is clear:
For more information on your health information privacy and security rights, or on the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules, visit the HHS Office for Civil Rights http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/index.html. Information Collected and Stored Automatically When you browse through our website, we gather and temporarily store technical information about your visit. This information does not identify who you are. The information we collect includes:
We use this information to improve our website and provide a better user experience for our visitors. We use a tool, Google Analytics, to collect and aggregate this information. This information is available only to web managers and other designated staff who require this information to perform their duties. It is retained only for as long as needed for proper analysis. Web Measurement and Customization We use web measurement and customization technologies, such as cookies, to help our website function better for visitors and to better understand how the public is using our website. Cookies HHS uses “cookies” to test and optimize our website design and content. A cookie is a small text file automatically placed on your computer. We use two types of cookies on our websites:
You can take actions to block cookies. Blocking these cookies from your computer will not affect your access to the content and tools on our website. Instructions to opt out are available on USA.gov http://www.usa.gov/optout_instructions.shtml. Personal Information Voluntarily Submitted to HHS If you choose to provide HHS with personal information -- for example by completing a “Contact Us” form, leaving a comment, or completing a survey -- we may use that information to respond to your message and/or help us get you the information or services you asked for. Submitting personal information (name, address, telephone number, email address, etc.) is voluntary and is not required to access information on our website. We will retain the information only for as long as necessary to respond to your question or to fulfill the stated purpose of the communication. In most cases this will not exceed three months. Electronically submitted information, like information submitted in paper form, is maintained and destroyed in accordance with the Federal Records Act and records schedules of the National Archives and Records Administration. It may be subject to disclosure in certain cases (for example, if lawfully required in response to a Freedom of Information Act request, court order, or Congressional access request, or if authorized by a Privacy Act System of Records Notice). It is subject to the Privacy Act if maintained in a Privacy Act system. For more information on HHS Statement of Records Notices (SORNs), visit http://www.hhs.gov/foia/privacy/sorns.html. For a broader discussion of your rights under the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act, visit http://publications.usa.gov/epublications/foia/foia.htm. Visiting an Official HHS Page on Third-Party Websites We maintain accounts on third-party websites, such as social media sites, as tools to better interact with the public. Your activity on those third-party websites is governed by the security and privacy policies of those sites. Users of third-party websites are often sharing information with the general public, user community, and/or the third-party operating the website. These actors may use this information in a variety of ways. You should review the privacy policies of third-party websites before using them and ensure that you understand how your information may be used. You should also adjust privacy settings on your account on any third-party website to match your preferences. HHS Accounts Common third-party websites in use include:
For more information on HHS maintained accounts on third-party websites, visit the HHS Center for New Media http://newmedia.hhs.gov/index.html. Information Collected and Used from Third-Party Websites If you have an account with a third-party website, and choose to follow, like, friend, or comment, certain PII associated with your account may be made available based on the privacy policies of the third-party website and your privacy settings within that third-party website. HHS sometimes collects and uses PII made available through third-party websites. We do not share PII made available through third-party websites. HHS conducts and publishes a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) for each use of a third-party website. Each use of a third-party website may have unique functionality or practices. To learn more, review the published PIAs at http://www.hhs.gov/pia/. Disclosure HHS does not disclose, give, sell, or transfer any personal information about our visitors unless required for law enforcement or by Federal law. Intrusion Detection This site is maintained by the U.S. Government. It is protected by various provisions of Title 18, U.S. Code. Violations of Title 18 are subject to criminal prosecution in federal court. For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, we employ software programs to monitor traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information or otherwise cause damage. In the event of authorized law enforcement investigations and as part of any required legal process, information from these sources may be used to help identify an individual. For more information For more information on the Privacy Act at HHS, visit http://www.hhs.gov/foia/privacy/index.html To contact someone with privacy questions or issues, visit http://www.hhs.gov/foia/contacts/index.html#privacy |