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    About this service

    The 21st Century Cures Act is a law that makes it easier for patients to access new medical technology. The Cures Act says that patients need easy access to their electronic health data. To do this, we are helping you share your health data with third-party apps.
     

    Who is this for?

    Mass General Brigham ACO members who want to share their health data from Mass General Brigham Health Plan.
     

    How can it help?

    Sharing your health data with third-party apps can make it easier for you to track and manage your health. For example, you could use an app to track all your medications. Or you could view a history of your health records, like your past lab results and procedures.
     

    Do I need this?

    This service connects your health data to third-party apps. Third-party apps are mobile apps that were not created by Mass General Brigham Health Plan. If you want to access your health data, you can also use the official Mass General Brigham Health Plan mobile app. Our Member App is available on iOS and Android. It has a 12-month service history, plan information, and a list of in-network providers. You can learn more about the Mass General Brigham Health Plan Member app here.

    If you want to view your health data through a third-party app, you'll need to complete the steps below.


     

    How to share your electronic health data with a third-party app

    There are a few steps you need to take before you can connect your electronic health data to a third-party app.

    1. Visit the 1upHealth App Gallery to find a list of third-party apps you can connect to. Once you've found an app you want to connect to download it on your phone to create an account within the app.
    2. Follow the prompts until you see the option to "Connect Your Insurance" and click that button.
    3. Enter 'Mass General Brigham Health Plan' in the search bar.
    4. Click on the "Click here to confirm identity" link and enter in your personal details, including your Member ID. Then, click "Verify identity."
    5. Click "Send code to my email" and check the email you provided during account creation to find the code.
    6. Enter that code into the text field and click "Confirm code."
    7. Check off the box and click "Approve data share."
    Your Mass General Brigham Health Plan data will now be connected to the app you chose!

     

    Important privacy and security information

    Your medical records have private information about your health. It’s important to be careful about how you share this data. Only connect to apps that have strong privacy and security in place to protect your data. Here are some tips to help you decide if an app is trustworthy or not.

    • Privacy and security questions

      Look for a privacy policy that’s easy to read and explains how the app will use your health data. Then, use the privacy policy to try to answer these questions:

      • What health data will this app collect? Will this app collect non-health data from my device, such as my location?
      • What security measures does this app use to protect my data? Will this app store my data in a de-identified or anonymized form?
      • How will this app use my data?
      • Will this app sell my data for any reason, such as advertising or research?
      • How can I limit this app’s use and disclosure of my data?
      • What impact could sharing my data with this app have on others, such as my family members?
      • How can I access my data and correct errors in data retrieved by this app?
      • Does this app have a process for collecting and responding to user complaints?
      • How do I stop the app from accessing my data? What is the app’s policy for deleting my data once I remove access?
      • How does this app inform users of changes that could affect its privacy practices?

       

      If the app doesn’t have a privacy policy or doesn’t answer these questions, it may not be secure or private. You should reconsider allowing the app to access your health information.

    • Your rights under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

      The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules, and the Patient Safety Act and Rule. You can find more information about your rights under HIPAA, and who has to follow HIPAA, here. You can also find frequently asked questions about HIPAA here.
       
      Most third-party apps are not covered by HIPAA. Instead, these apps fall under the protections of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Act. The FTC Act protects against deceptive acts.

      Here's an example: an app shares your data, even though its privacy policy says it won't. You can find information about mobile app privacy and security from the FTC       here.

    • What to do if you think your privacy has been breached or an app has used your data inappropriately

      If you believe your privacy has been breached, you can reach out to our Customer Service team to report the incident. We will then forward the report to our internal Privacy Officer.
       
      You can contact Customer Service by calling us at 866-414-5533 or at the number on the back of your member ID card. You can also email us at healthplanCustomerService-Members@mgb.org or go to Member.MassGeneralBrighamHealthPlan.org to start a live chat with a Customer Service Professional. We are available Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM and 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Thursdays.
       
      Note that email sent over the Internet is not secure and should not be used to communicate confidential or health information directly to Mass General Brigham Health Plan. You can learn more about email security with Mass General Brigham Health Plan here.
       
      You can also file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) or Federal Trade Commission (FTC) using the links below.

    For third-party app developers

    App developers can find information about how to connect with the 1upHealth platform here.

    Need help? Contact our Customer Service team

    If you have questions or need help connecting your data to third-party apps, we are here to help. Please call us at 866-414-5533, or at the number on the back of your member ID card.
     
    You can also email us at healthplanCustomerService-Members@mgb.org or go to Member.MassGeneralBrighamHealthPlan.org to start a live chat with a Customer Service Professional. We are available Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM and 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Thursdays.