Internet Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy applies to the Health Matters website. Health Matters respects your right to privacy. This policy summarizes what personally identifiable information we may collect, and how we might use this information. This policy also describes other important topics relating to your privacy.
While you may use some of the functionality of Health Matters without registration, many of the specific tools and services on our website require registration. If you use our website without registering, the only information we collect will be Non-Personal Information using Cookies. If you choose to become a member of our website, we require a limited amount of Personally Identifiable Information, such as your name, birth date and email address.
Non Personal Information We Collect
Even if you do not register with Health Matters, we may collect Non-Personal Information about your use of our website, special promotions and newsletters.
Health Matters assigns every computer a different Cookie. The information collected by Cookies:
(i) helps us to statistically monitor how many people are using our website
(ii) how many people open our emails
(iii) for what purposes these actions are being taken
Cookies are also used to facilitate a user’s log-in, as navigation aides and as session timers, but not to retain Personal Health Information about you.
Your browser software can be set to reject all Cookies. If you reject our Cookies, certain functions and conveniences of our website may not work properly but you do not have to accept our Cookies in order to use our site. We do not link Non-Personal Information from Cookies to Personally Identifiable Information without your permission and do not use Cookies to collect or store Personal Health Information about you.
Personally Identifiable Information We Collect
As you use Health Matters, you will be given the option of receiving recurring informational/promotional newsletters via email. These emails will be of a general nature and will in no way disclose your unique health characteristics. At the time you sign up for our email newsletters or any time thereafter, you can choose to opt-out of receiving additional promotional emails from us.
To subscribe to such newsletters, we need your contact information, such as name and email address. You can unsubscribe from the newsletters by simply clicking on the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of any email newsletter. An email to our automated unsubscribe service will be created on your computer. Click the “send” button. You will then be unsubscribed from that newsletter within two to three business days.
When you use Health Matters “Email a Friend,” Health Matters emails the article or other content designated by you to your friend’s email address, listing your email address as the sender. Health Matters uses the friend’s email address only for sending your friend the email you requested. While we store the email address, we do not use it for any other purpose.
This Privacy Policy does not protect you when you send content, questions or ideas to Health Matters by email. If you want to keep them private or proprietary, do not send them in an email to Health Matters. We try to answer every email within 48 business hours, but are not always able to do so.
After you have registered as a member of Health Matters, you may choose to use certain interactive content, tools and services that may ask you to voluntarily provide other types of information about yourself including Personal Health Information. These tools do not retain or store your Personal Health Information.
We are committed to protecting the privacy of children. Neither Health Matters nor any of its services are designed or intended to attract children under the age of 13. Health Matters does not intend to collect personally identifiable information from children under age 13 without permission of the child's parent or legal guardian. Children under the age of 13 should submit personally identifiable information to Health Matters only with the explicit permission of their parent or legal guardian. Where appropriate, Health Matters will instruct children not to submit personal information. If your child has submitted personal information and you would like to request that such information be removed, you may do so as indicated above and Health Matters will use reasonable efforts to comply with your request.
From time to time the Health Matters market research department, or its operations contractors acting on its behalf, conducts online research surveys in order to gather feedback about our site, our sponsors and opinions on important healthcare issues, through email invitations, surveys and online focus groups.
Personally Identifiable Information collected through market research will only be used by Health Matters and its operations contractors and will not be given or sold to a third party.
Health Matters tailors information to reflect your interests, concerns and personal health characteristics.
Disclosure of Your Information
Except as set forth in this Privacy Policy or as specifically agreed to by you, Health Matters will not disclose any Personally Identifiable or Personal Health Information it gathers from you on our website. We will only release Personally Identifiable or Personal Health Information to third parties:
(i) to comply with valid legal requirements such as a law, regulation, search warrant, subpoena or court order.
(ii) in special cases, such as a physical threat to you or others. In the event that we are legally compelled to disclose your Personally Identifiable or Personal Health Information to a third party, we will attempt to notify you unless doing so would violate the law or court order. In addition, we may disclose Personal Information as described below.
Links to Other Sites
The Health Matters web site may contain links to other sites. We do not endorse or otherwise accept responsibility for the content or privacy policies of those sites. Additionally, some of our Web pages may contain "cookies," which are data that may be sent to your Web browser and stored on your computer. This allows our server to "recognize" you when you visit our Web site in the future. Most Web browsers can be configured to not accept cookies, or to notify you if a cookie is sent to you. Once you enter another website (whether through an advertisement, service, or content link), be aware that Health Matters is not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage you to look for and review the privacy statements of each and every web website that you visit.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We will inform you if a material change to the Privacy Policy is made that involves the use of your Personally Identifiable Information. Your continued use of the Health Matters site will indicate acceptance of the changes. Please exit the site immediately if you do not agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy or any revised policy.
Effective: February 1, 2015