Privacy Policy

The Physicians Mutual family is dedicated to protecting your privacy. That’s why we want to clearly outline what information we gather and how we ensure its security.

What Information We Collect and Why

Rest assured, any information you provide is strictly confidential. We simply want to offer you services and features to better meet your needs. That’s why we may ask for:

• General personal information (such as your age, ZIP Code or state of residence) — in order to provide you with the correct information on our insurance coverage. Since products can vary by state, we want you to have the most accurate information available. In addition, this allows us to tailor the coverage options just for you.
• Basic personal information (such as your name, address, phone number and email address) — by providing us with this information, you agree to receive promotional offers and announcements, as well as company information. If you no longer wish to receive information from us, you may contact us at 1-800-469-8138. For emails, you may select the unsubscribe link found at the bottom of all of our emails.

When you provide us with your telephone number we may send text messages containing marketing information, notifications, reminders, tips and links. Standard data and message rates may apply. You can reply STOP to these messages at any time to stop receiving them.

• Sensitive personal information (such as medical information, insurance policy number and bank account) — in order to provide you with accurate insurance quotes or to allow you to access your account with us. This also lets you pay your bill online.

How Your Information Is Protected

We want you to feel as safe as possible on our website. That’s why we operate under a strict Code of Ethics and a rigorous Information Security Program, both of which are subject to regular examinations and updates.

Our Code of Ethics requires confidential treatment of your personal information. Only those individuals who provide the products or services you might need are authorized to have access to your information. Any associate with access to information must complete privacy and information security training. We will not sell your information to other marketing, mailing list or telemarketing companies.

Our Information Security Program allows us to maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards to help protect you from unauthorized access to your personal information. Your information remains secure because our computer systems are protected with:

• Firewalls, intrusion prevention systems and virtual private networks (VPNs) — technologies that protect our network from Internet attacks and unauthorized access.
• Secure transmissions and encryption — technologies that ensure information remains confidential as it travels over the Internet. We use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) to transmit information. This protects data in three ways:
  1. Ensures that you are communicating with us, and prevents another computer from impersonating our Company.
  2. Scrambles transferred data so it cannot be read by unauthorized parties.
  3. Verifies the information is not altered during the transfer.
• Malware protection — technology that detects and prevents viruses, worms, Trojans and other forms of Malware from entering our computers.

Cookies and Other Tracking Information

We use cookie technology and other tracking technologies for the following:

• To gather statistical data, such as the pages you visit within our website, what you download, and which sites you go to right before and after our website. We then combine and analyze this information with data we gathered from other visitors, so we can provide you with a better experience.
• To remember general details about your visit, so we can enhance your experience on our website.
• To understand how people use our site and enhance features which are used the most.
• To send marketing material from us or our business partners, based on your visit to our website. This material may be sent via regular mail or email.
• To combine with other third-party data to provide you with advertising based on this data.
• To gather information about your activities on this site in order to provide you advertising based upon your past browsing activities and interests on this site. If you do not want this information used for the purpose of serving your interest-based retargeting ads, you may opt-out by visiting http://www.networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp

Your Choices and Rights: You always have the choice on how much information to give us. But keep in mind, opting out of even general personal information may mean you have limited access to some of our website’s features and product information. It can also limit our ability to respond to your needs. You can also choose to accept or decline cookies. Most browsers automatically accept cookies. If you would like your browser to automatically decline cookies, go to your browser’s “Help” menu to learn how to change your cookie preferences.

How to Get Additional Information

For more details on how to be secure online, review our computer security tips. Also be sure to review our Terms of Use section for valuable information on how to use our site.

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Terms of Use

We want all of our website visitors to enjoy their experience. Please read this information carefully so you get the most out of your visit. Keep in mind, by using or accessing our site, you agree to the following:

• This website is intended for a United States audience. If you live outside of the United States, or in jurisdictions in which we are not licensed to do business, you may see information about products that are not offered in your jurisdiction.
• Product information, state availability and limitations change on a continuous basis. The information we provide on this website is to be used as a guide only. It is not intended to be a solicitation or offer for sale. The insurance policy itself is the governing document that sets forth the coverage, limitations and exclusions.
• All logos, service marks and trademarks remain the property of the Physicians Mutual family and are protected by all applicable trade laws. Removal or reproduction of any kind is strictly prohibited without prior written consent of the Company.
• No materials from this website may be copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, transmitted, hyperlinked or distributed in any way without our prior written consent. You may download material displayed on this website for your personal use only and provided you do not remove any copyright and other proprietary notices. You may not modify or use the content of this website for public or commercial purposes without prior written consent of the Company.
• You are not allowed to post on or transmit to or from this website any content that could give rise to civil or criminal liability under the law. Use of the Internet itself is solely at your own risk. We will not be liable for any loss resulting from things we cannot control, such as, but not limited to, electronic or technical failure, computer viruses, unauthorized use, operator error, natural disasters or governmental restrictions.
• You agree to indemnify us (Physicians Mutual®, its officers, directors, employees, agents, licensors, suppliers and third party information providers) when you use this site from and against all losses, expenses, damages and costs, including reasonable attorney fees resulting from any violation of this agreement by you.
• This site may contain links to other third party sites for supplemental information or services of interest. We cannot be held responsible for the content or accuracy and do not endorse these unless specifically stated.
• Personal information transmitted to us will be treated in accordance with our stated Privacy Policy.

If you have any specific questions or concerns not addressed here, please contact us. Thank you — we look forward to serving your needs.

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Identity Theft and Fraud

The most important thing you can do is to be careful with your personal information. Only share personal information after you have validated the need to share the information, and after you have validated the source. Always discard personal information when you no longer need it. To protect yourself, always shred documentation that contains personal information before you throw it away. Our Company shreds all paper documentation and destroys all electronic information to exacting standards before it is discarded.

To further protect yourself from identity theft and fraud, please read the below guidelines and the section called Computer Security Tips.

Postal Scams

Fraudsters send mail that looks like it came from a legitimate company. The letter often looks very official and could even contain personal information. In some cases, the bogus mail will instruct you to call a phone number or send/return personal information.

If you receive a letter, and do not recognize the sender, simply discard it. If you recognize the sender, but are uncertain what to do simply call the business by obtaining the phone number from a well-recognized directory. You can also call your local Better Business Bureau.

Email Scams

Online fraudsters often send emails instructing you to click on a link that will take you to a website that looks identical to the real website. Never open an email or click on a link if you are suspicious of the sender. It is always safer to type in the address of a link into your Internet browser.

To help prevent email scams, it is important to use email or have software that prevents spam. You should also have software or a browser that has a "phishing filter." A phishing filter will help prevent you from being directed to a bogus website that looks identical to the real one. All protective software should be updated on a regular basis.

Our Company will never send you an email requesting you to reply with your personal information.

Website and Pop-Up Scams

Online fraudsters are able to force a "pop-up" to appear on your screen or re-direct you to another bogus website. Fraudsters are hoping you will give up your personal or account information. They do this by making the message sound important or urgent for you to reply as soon as possible. If you provide your information, they will be able to steal it and use it to commit fraud (identity theft).

To help prevent online scams, it is important to use a browser that has software that will help prevent pop-ups and provides a phishing filter.

Phone Scams

Fraudsters often call and pretend to be from a familiar company, that you won the lottery or that you are needed to help transfer money. They will use common personal information that is a matter of public record and try and make the context of the call sound very important and convincing. They are even able to modify the Caller ID, to make you think the phone number is legitimate.

What to Do If You Are a Victim of Identity Fraud or Theft

Contact us immediately at 1-800-228-9100 if:

• You notice suspicious activity with your account
• You have been a victim of identity theft or fraud

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Computer Security Tips

Your computer is your first line of defense on the Internet, and with just a couple of tools and some diligence, you can greatly improve your security.

Your Operating System and Internet Browser

The first step to online security is to keep you computer operating system and Internet browser up-to-date.

If your computer is more than three-years-old, its operating system (such as Microsoft Windows 98 or Macintosh OS 8) and Internet browser may not offer the same level of protection as newer ones (such as Windows 7 or Macintosh OS X).

Download updates as soon as you're notified that one is available.

Prevent Malware

Malware is a term for malicious software which includes spyware, viruses, Trojans, worms, adware and pop-ups. To protect yourself from malware:

• Install an anti-spyware protection program that detects and removes spyware
• Install an anti-virus program that detects and removes viruses and other forms of malware
• Check to make sure your anti-spyware or anti-virus protection program also protects you from adware and pop-ups
• Avoid downloading programs from unknown sources

These programs need to be updated on a regular basis to protect your computer from new malware. Download these updates as soon as you're notified that one is available.

Personal Firewall

A firewall is a program that acts as a barrier to protect your computer from offensive websites and hackers.

For maximum online safety, install a personal firewall, especially if you have a wireless or broadband connection to the Internet (such as a cable modem or DSL connection). Some of the newer operating systems have a built in firewall. Check to see if yours already includes a firewall prior to purchasing a separate one.

Passwords

It is a good idea to have a different username and password for all your accounts. This will help lesson the chance that multiple accounts can be breached if any one of your accounts is accessed by a hacker.

You should also keep passwords as impersonal as possible. Passwords that contain personal information are not as secure as more random information. That's why you should:

• Never use any part of your username or personal information as your password (such as your name, Social Security number, date of birth, or family member's or friend's name)
• Always include a combination of letters, numbers and special characters (such as @, %, & and #)

It is best to memorize your password and not to write them down. If it is necessary to write down your password, keep it in a secure location. Also, change your passwords at least once a year, if not more.

Email Security

It is very important to be wary of suspicious emails … and to never open, click on, or respond to one. To ensure maximum email security, make sure you:

• Carefully review any email requesting your username, password or account information, particularly if the email states the information is needed to award a prize or verify a statement.
• Delete any email that seems suspicious or is from an unknown source.
• Open email attachments only if you know the sender. It is best to scan attachments with your anti- virus software prior to opening.
• Avoid clicking on links provided in emails. It is always safer to type the address into your Internet browser.
• Never open email attachments that have file endings of .exe, .pif, or .vbs. These are file extensions for executables, and are usually dangerous files. Any file that appears to have a double extension, like "heythere.doc.pif" should also never be opened.
• Be careful and selective before providing your email address to a questionable website. Sharing your email address makes you more likely to receive fraudulent emails.
• Confirm requests for personal or account information by going to the company's website directly. Open a new browser window, type the Web address, and check to see if you must actually perform any activity that an email may be asking you to do, such as change a password.

Online Security

To protect yourself online, make sure the Web page you are viewing offers encryption of your data. You can tell a site is secure when:

• A lock symbol appears in the lower right-hand corner of your browser window. You can verify secure sites by double-clicking on the lock icon and reading the site information in the box that appears.
• The Web address begins with "https://" — the "s" indicates "secured" and means the page uses encryption.

For additional online security, make sure you:

• Leave suspicious sites. If a website does not appear to be what you expected, leave immediately.
• Protect your personal and account information. Cyber criminals try to trick you by creating sites that look similar to real sites. The best way to know who you are dealing with is to type the address in your browser address bar.
• Report fraud immediately, change your passwords, and continually monitor your account activity if you think you may have provided personal or account information in response to a fraudulent email or website.
• Read and familiarize yourself with the site's Privacy Policy and legal disclosures.
• Always logout/sign off from your online session.

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1. When you opt-in to the service, we will send you a message to confirm your signup. Text JOB to 29272 to receive Physicians Mutual Alerts. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency will vary based on your use. Text "HELP" for help. Text "STOP" to cancel.
2. You can cancel this service at any time. Just text "STOP" to 29272. After you send the message "STOP" to us, we will send you a reply message to confirm that you have been unsubscribed. After this, you will no longer receive messages from us.
   If you want to join again, just sign up as you did the first time and we will start sending messages to you again.
3. If at any time you forget what keywords are supported, just text "HELP" to 29272. After you send the message "HELP" to us, we will respond with instructions on how to use our service as well as how to unsubscribe.
4. Participating carriers: AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, Boost Mobile, MetroPCS, Virgin Mobile, Alaska Communications Systems (ACS), Appalachian Wireless (EKN), Bluegrass Cellular, Cellular One of East Central, IL (ECIT), Cellular One of Northeast Pennsylvania, Cricket, Coral Wireless (Mobi PCS), COX, Cross, Element Mobile (Flat Wireless), Epic Touch (Elkhart Telephone), GCI, Golden State, Hawkeye (Chat Mobility), Hawkeye (NW Missouri), Illinois Valley Cellular, Inland Cellular, iWireless (Iowa Wireless), Keystone Wireless (Immix Wireless/PC Man), Mosaic (Consolidated or CTC Telecom), Nex-Tech Wireless, NTelos, Panhandle Communications, Pioneer, Plateau (Texas RSA 3 Ltd), Revol, RINA, Simmetry (TMP Corporation), Thumb Cellular, Union Wireless, United Wireless, Viaero Wireless, and West Central (WCC or 5 Star Wireless).
5. T-Mobile is not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
6. As always, message and data rates may apply for any messages sent to you from us and to us from you. If you have any questions about your text plan or data plan, it is best to contact your wireless provider.For all questions about the services provided by this short code, you can send an email to cs@physiciansmutual.com, or call 1-800-228-9100.
7. If you have any questions regarding privacy, please read our privacy policy.

PHYSICIANS MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY, INC.

PHYSICIANS LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

PHYSICIANS SELECT INSURANCE COMPANY

CALIFORNIA NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

This NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES is adopted to comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 and the California Privacy Rights Act, as each may be amended and modified, including all implementing regulations enacted thereunder (collectively, “CCPA”). Any terms defined in the CCPA have the same meaning when used in this notice. This notice applies solely to information that identifies, relates to, describes, is reasonably capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with a particular California resident and that is subject to the CCPA (“personal information”).

At Physicians Mutual Insurance Company, Inc., Physicians Life Insurance Company, and Physicians Select Insurance Company, we are dedicated to protecting your privacy, and this notice outlines what personal information:

• we may collect from you;
• the business purpose it may serve;
• the personal information that may have been disclosed for business purposes;
• the categories of third parties the personal information may have been disclosed to; and
• the rights granted to you as a resident of the State of California.

Note that personal information does not include publicly available information from government records, de-identified or aggregated consumer information, or certain other information excluded from the CCPA’s scope. For example, health or medical information covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and personal information covered by certain sector-specific privacy laws, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, are not covered by the CCPA.

Collection, Use, and Disclosure of Your Personal Information

We may collect for operational and/or marketing purposes (both online and offline) the following categories of (and specific pieces of) personal information from you, your authorized agents, third parties that interact with us in connection with the services we perform, and activity on our website:

• Age (Operational and Marketing)
• Commercial Information (Marketing)
• Ethnicity (Operational and Marketing)
• Financial Information (Operational and Marketing)
• Gender (Operational and Marketing)
• Geolocation Data (Marketing)
• Inferences (Marketing)
• Insurance Information (Operational and Marketing)
• Internet or Electronic Network Activity (Operational and Marketing)
• Marital Status (Operational and Marketing)
• Medical Condition/Information (Operational)
• Military/Veteran Status (Operational)
• Personal Identifiers (Operational and Marketing)
• Professional or Employment-Related Information (Operational and Marketing)
• Signature (Operational)

We may disclose your personal information to a third party for a business purpose, including to provide you with services associated with your policy. When we disclose personal information for a business purpose, we enter a contract that describes the purpose and requires the recipient to both keep that personal information confidential and not use it for any purpose except performing the contract. We disclose your personal information for a business purpose to the following categories of third parties: our affiliates, service providers, vendors and contractors to whom you or your agents authorize us to disclose your personal information in connection with products or services we provide to you.

During the past 12 months, we have collected, and for business purposes, disclosed the following categories of personal information:

• Age
• Commercial Information
• Ethnicity
• Financial Information
• Gender
• Geolocation Data
• Inferences
• Insurance Information
• Internet or Electronic Network Activity
• Marital Status
• Medical Condition/Information
• Military/Veteran Status
• Personal Identifiers
• Professional or Employment-Related Information
• Signature

We do not sell or share (as each is defined under CCPA) any personal information.

Collection, Use, and Disclosure of Your Sensitive Personal Information

We may have collected the following categories of sensitive personal information:

• Racial or ethnic origin, religious or philosophical beliefs, or union membership
• Account log-in, financial account, debit card, or credit card number in combination with required security or access code, password, or credentials allowing access to an account
• Social security, driver’s license, state identification card, or passport number
• Personal information collected and analyzed concerning a consumer’s health

Retention of Your Personal Information

We will retain your personal information, including sensitive personal information, for no longer than is reasonably necessary for the purpose(s) for which it was collected. In certain cases, personal information may be kept for an extended period of time in order to comply with a legal obligation, or for the establishment, exercise or defense of a legal claim, in accordance with CCPA.

Your Rights

Access: The CCPA provides you with the right to request that we disclose certain information to you about our collection and use of your personal information. Once we receive and confirm your verifiable consumer request, we will disclose to you:

• The categories of personal information we collected about you.
• The categories of sources for the personal information we collected about you.
• Our business purpose for collecting that personal information.
• The categories of third parties with whom we share that personal information for business purposes.
• The specific pieces of personal information we collected about you.
• If we disclosed your personal information for a business purpose, a list identifying the personal information categories that each category of recipient obtained.

You may only make two (2) such verifiable consumer requests within a 12-month period.

Deletion: The CCPA provides you with the limited right to request that we delete certain parts of your personal information we have retained. Subject to certain exceptions set out in the CCPA, once we receive and confirm your verifiable consumer request, we will delete personal information we have retained on you. Note that if you are a current customer of Physicians Mutual Insurance Company, Inc., Physicians Life Insurance Company, and/or Physicians Select Insurance Company, any personal information required to provide you with any and all services associated with your policy will not be deleted.

Limit Use of Sensitive Information: The CCPA provides you the right to make a verifiable consumer request to limit our use and disclosure of your sensitive personal information for the purpose of inferring characteristics about you, subject to certain exceptions set out under CCPA.

Correction: The CCPA provides you the right to correct your inaccurate personal information, subject to certain exceptions set out under CCPA. You may make a verifiable consumer request to correct inaccurate personal information that we hold about you.

The verifiable consumer request must provide sufficient information that allows us to reasonably verify you are the person about whom we collected personal information, or an authorized representative, and describe your request with sufficient detail that allows us to properly understand, evaluate, and respond to it. Verified requests can be made using the contact information below.

We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights. Unless permitted by the CCPA, we will not, as a result of you exercising any of your rights under the CCPA:

• Deny you goods or services.
• Charge you different prices or rates for goods or services, including through granting discounts or other benefits, or imposing penalties.
• Provide you a different level or quality of goods or services.
• Suggest that you may receive a different price or rate for goods or services or a different level or quality of goods or services.

For Further Information

If you have questions regarding this notice, or want to make any of the requests described above, you may contact us at:

Physicians Mutual Insurance Company, Inc.

ATTN: Customer Group Administration Privacy Desk

P.O. Box 3313

Omaha, NE 68172-4005

1-866-471-7642 (Toll Free)

PHYSICIANS MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY

PHYSICIANS LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

WASHINGTON CONSUMER HEALTH DATA PRIVACY POLICY

This CONSUMER HEALTH DATA PRIVACY POLICY is adopted to comply with the Washington My Health, My Data Act (“MHMDA”). Any terms defined in the MHMDA have the same meaning when used in this notice. This notice applies solely to consumer health data that is linked or reasonably linkable to a Washington Consumer and that identifies the Washington Consumer's past, present, or future physical or mental health status (“consumer health data”).

At Physicians Mutual and Physicians Life, we are dedicated to protecting your privacy, and this notice outlines what consumer health data:

• we may collect from you;
• the business purpose it may serve;
• the consumer health information that may have been disclosed for business purposes;
• the categories of third parties the consumer health data may have been disclosed to; and
• the rights granted to you as Washington Consumer.

Note that consumer health data does not include publicly available information from government records, de-identified or aggregated consumer information, or certain other information excluded from the MHMDA's scope. For example, health or medical information covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and consumer health data covered by certain sector-specific privacy laws, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, are not covered by the MHMDA.

Collection, Use, and Disclosure of Your Consumer Health Data

We may collect for operational and/or marketing purposes (both online and offline) the following types of consumer health data from you, your authorized agents, third parties that interact with us in connection with the services we perform, and activity on our website:

• Individual health conditions, treatments, diseases, or diagnosis
• Social, psychological, behavioral, and medical interventions
• Health-related surgeries or procedures
• Use or purchase of prescribed medication
• Bodily functions, vital signs, symptoms, or measurements of other types of consumer health data
• Diagnoses or diagnostic testing, treatment, or medication
• Reproductive or sexual health information
• Data that identifies a consumer seeking health care services

We may disclose your consumer health data to a third party for a business purpose, including to provide you with services associated with your policy. When we disclose consumer health data for a business purpose, we enter a contract that describes the purpose and requires the recipient to both keep that consumer health data confidential and not use it for any purpose except performing the contract. We disclose your consumer health data for a business purpose to the following categories of third parties: our affiliates, service providers, vendors and contractors to whom you or your agents authorize us to disclose your consumer health data in connection with products or services we provide to you.

We do not sell or share (as each is defined under MHMDA) any consumer health data.

Retention of Your Consumer Health Data

We will retain your consumer health data for no longer than is reasonably necessary for the purpose(s) for which it was collected. In certain cases, consumer health data may be kept for an extended period of time in order to comply with a legal obligation, or for the establishment, exercise or defense of a legal claim, in accordance with MHMDA.

Your Rights

Confirm and Access: The MHMDA provides you with the right to confirm whether we collect your consumer health data and to disclose the consumer health data we collect. Once we receive and confirm your verifiable consumer request, subject to certain legal limitations and exceptions, we will disclose to you the consumer health data we’ve collected for a business purpose.

Deletion: The MHMDA provides you with the right to request that we delete your consumer health data we have collected and retained. Subject to legal limitations and exceptions set out in the MHMDA, once we receive and confirm your verifiable consumer request, we will delete consumer health data we have retained on you. Note that if you are a current customer of Physicians Mutual and/or Physicians Life, any consumer health data required to provide you with any and all services associated with your policy will not be deleted.

The verifiable consumer request must provide sufficient information that allows us to reasonably verify you are the person about whom we collected consumer health data, or an authorized representative, and describe your request with sufficient detail that allows us to properly understand, evaluate, and respond to it. Verified requests can be made using the contact information below.

For Further Information

If you have questions regarding this notice, or want to make any of the requests described above, you may contact us at:

Physicians Mutual Insurance Company

ATTN: Customer Group Administration Privacy Desk

P.O. Box 3313

Omaha, NE 68172-4005

1-800-228-9100 (Toll Free)

The CCPA provides you the right to make a verifiable consumer request to limit our use and disclosure of your sensitive personal information for the purpose of inferring characteristics about you, subject to certain exceptions set out under CCPA.

Click here to make such a request.