Consumer Health Data Privacy Policy

Effective Date: May, 2024

Last Updated: May, 2024

 

This Consumer Health Data Privacy Policy (“Policy”) supplements our Ascensia Privacy Statement, and contains additional information about how Ascensia Diabetes Care US Inc. (“Ascensia”) handles the Consumer Health Data of Washington and Nevada residents, and individuals whose Consumer Health Data is collected in Washington or Nevada. The Policy also applies to other states where similar laws apply, such as Connecticut. The Policy does not apply to information that is not subject to the Washington My Health My Data Act, Nevada’s Consumer Health Privacy Law (SB 370), or equivalent state laws (“the Consumer Health Privacy Laws”). For example, it does not apply to information that is public, or de-identified.

 

Consumer Health Data we collect

In this Policy we use the term Consumer Health Data to mean any personal information that is linked to you, or reasonably able to be linked to you, identifying your physical or mental health. The information we collect depends on how you or someone authorized to act on your behalf (a “caregiver”) interact with us, and usually it is information that you or a caregiver choose to share with us. Examples of Consumer Health Data that Ascensia may collect include:

  • Health-related information you share about your diabetes type, therapy, treatment, details of your blood glucose meter and other apparatus, and your measurement frequency.
  • Other information that we may derive from non-health information, such as interactions with the website.

 

How we collect your Consumer Health Data

In most cases Ascensia will collect only the Consumer Health Data you or a caregiver choose to share with us but what we collect will depend on how you or a caregiver interact with us:

  • Consumer Health Data that you or a caregiver provide. We collect Consumer Health Data that you or a caregiver provide when you use our products and services, participate in a promotion, attend an Ascensia event, or contact Ascensia via our website or customer support team.
  • Devices you use to connect with us or use our products and services. When you use our website, we will automatically receive technical information, such as the type of device you use but we may also collect Consumer Health Data automatically from devices you use to connect to our services. For more information, please see the “Use of Cookies” section in our Ascensia Privacy Statement.
  • Ascensia’s trusted business partners and service providers that assist us to provide and improve our products and services to you, such as market research surveys and consumer educational events.
  • Other third parties that provide access to information you make available, where you understand and agree, if applicable.

 

Why we collect your Consumer Health Data

We will use your Consumer Health Data as necessary to provide our products and services to you or, with your consent where required, for purposes including:

  • to process your request for our products or services;
  • to enable us to respond to an inquiry or other request when you contact us via our website, including for customer support;
  • to continue to develop, test and improve our website, including to offer new functionality and features;
  • to better understand how you interact with our website, including its functionality and features, and ensure that content is presented in the most effective manner;
  • to allow you to participate in interactive features of our website, when you choose to do so;
  • to invite you to participate in surveys or other promotional and marketing activities concerning our products and services, including in conjunction with selected third party partners;
  • to make suggestions and recommendations about products or services that may interest you, as described in the “Marketing” section of the Ascensia Privacy Statement;
  • to measure and understand the effectiveness of advertising so that we may better serve and deliver relevant advertising;
  • To comply with local legal and regulatory requirements:
    • as necessary if we need to issue a safety notice or corrective action related to any of our products or services; or
    • to report events to governmental or regulatory authorities that are responsible for medical devices and/or telemedicine policies, including related to medical device reimbursement and funding.
  • To conduct scientific research and/or for our legitimate business purposes to support public health, which may require us to use and disclose data to third party researchers that contains statistical, aggregated, anonymized or de-identified/pseudonymized information (this is information from which Ascensia will remove personal identifiers such as name and email address) for the purposes of:
    • determining and improving the effectiveness of diabetes management techniques, therapies, treatments, and costs;
    • researching and evaluating how our products and services are provided and used; and
    • evaluating the performance, impact and experience of our products and services (including based on demographics, such as geography).

 

Sharing your Consumer Health Data

Ascensia may share your Consumer Health Data with the following:

  • Other Ascensia companies, where those colleagues need to know Consumer Health Data to provide products and services to you;
  • Requested parties: where you request that we share Consumer Health Data with a party with whom you have a connection, for example a healthcare professional or family member;
  • Our selected partners where you have chosen to participate in surveys or other marketing-related initiatives relating to your use of our products and services;
  • We may also share your Consumer Health Data with service providers that we engage to provide services to us, for example, managing or defending legal requests, rights, or claims. If we must provide Consumer Health Data to a service provider, the provider is required to keep the Consumer Health Data confidential and secure, and must only use your Consumer Health Data as instructed by us; and
  • A prospective seller or buyer where there is sale or purchase of any Ascensia business or asset so the buyer can continue to provide you with products and services.

 

How to exercise your privacy rights

You have the right to: request (a) access to the personal data we hold about you; (b) request to withdraw your consent; and/ or (c) request we delete any personal data we hold about you. We may ask you for additional information to confirm your identity and for security purposes, before disclosing information requested to you.

Where we ask you to consent to the processing of your Consumer Health Data, we will provide you with an opportunity to withdraw your consent. You can withdraw consent, such as by contacting us using our contact details below. In each case, you will receive information about how to withdraw consent. Any withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of the use based on your consent before the withdrawal. Please also note that where you withdraw consent, we will only stop processing your Consumer Health Data that relates to the withdrawal of consent.

To exercise any of your rights in connection with your Consumer Health Data, please contact Ascensia by email at us.privacy@ascensia.com or call (800) 348-8100.

If we refuse or cannot support your request, we will notify you, providing details of how you can appeal the decision. If your appeal is unsuccessful, you can send a complaint or concern to the applicable Attorney General:

Washington: File a Complaint | Washington State

Nevada: File Complaint (nv.gov)

Connecticut: File a Complaint

 

Questions and general information

If there is a conflict between any other published Ascensia privacy policy or statement, and this Policy, this Policy will apply to any Consumer Health Data collected under the Consumer Health Privacy Laws.

We will post any changes to this Policy on this page and, where appropriate, notify you by e-mail. Please check back frequently to see any updates or changes to this Policy.

If you have questions about your Consumer Health Data, you can contact us by emailing the Data Protection Officer at us.privacy@ascensia.com or by calling (800) 348-8100.

 

* Not a guarantee of coverage and payment. A doctor's prescription is required for Medicare coverage and patients must meet Medicare eligibility coverage criteria. Coverage and payment may be subject to coinsurance, deductible and patient eligibility requirements. Visit https://www.medicare.gov to learn more about Medicare plans and coverage.

** Offer valid for eligible privately insured patients only. Purchase of CONTOUR®NEXT Test Strips required. Limitations and restrictions apply.

† #1 Brand in Medicare Patient Satisfaction claim is from data collected from June 8 through June 15, 2020.

‡ Check with your insurance provider as they may provide a lower cost option.

§ Up to 6 months.

¶ The offers above only apply to the cost of the sensor and transmitter or sensor. They do not cover the cost of the insertion or removal procedure. Limitations and Restrictions may apply. Ascensia Diabetes Care reserves the right to change or terminate this program at any time without notice.

The information brought to you by Ascensia Diabetes Care US Inc. provides general information. It is not intended to be used as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment and should not replace the advice of your Healthcare Provider.