PMA Insurance Group -- Privacy Policy

The PMA Privacy Policy

Insurance companies routinely obtain a variety of information provided by customers, agents and brokers, various claimants, medical providers, and other third parties. It is the policy of the PMA Insurance Group of companies to maintain an appropriate level of confidentiality for all the information we collect by restricting access to that information. We also maintain appropriate physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect such information from unauthorized access.

The business of insurance requires information. Insurance companies cannot effectively provide insurance services unless they are given access to and are able to process different kinds of information. For example, underwriters cannot evaluate individual risks without information regarding the individual insured's loss experience, safety practices, and so forth; and claims cannot be administered without information regarding the nature and extent of the damage incurred, including relevant medical information.

Much of the information we obtain is public and not of a personal or sensitive nature. We believe that those who entrust us with nonpublic personal information do so with the reasonable expectation that we will use the information only for the limited purpose for which we obtain it; i.e., for insurance related purposes. We are concerned about protecting the privacy of our customers and the other individuals with whom we interact, and have taken steps to protect the confidentiality of the nonpublic personal information that we obtain.

Types and sources of information. PMA accumulates information from many sources.

Customers provide us with information we need as part of the insurance application or evaluation process. We may also request reports from various sources in connection with applications for insurance and/or any renewal of such insurance. The kind of information we collect depends upon the type of policy, but may include such things as automobile motor vehicle reports, loss and claim reports, risk management reports, financial rating reports and property inspections, and other information. We also may receive and verify information from government agencies or independent reporting companies to help us correctly rate and properly underwrite a particular insurance risk.
We maintain detailed claim files which contain information about the claim and the claimant, including accident reports, wage information, medical reports bearing on the claim, and evidence relating to the validity or eligibility of the claim. We obtain such information from claimants, their employers, their medical providers, and other generally reliable sources. We cannot administer claims or pay benefits without appropriate access to such information.

Much of the information we obtain is generally accessible or otherwise not nonpublic personal information, and PMA cannot be responsible for preserving the privacy of such information.

Medical information   PMA obtains personally identifiable medical information only in connection with underwriting specific insurance policies or administering claims under those policies. We will not use or share with third parties personally identifiable medical information for any purpose other than the underwriting or administration of a policy, claim, account or program, or as otherwise disclosed to the subject when the information is collected, except as may be permitted by applicable law.

Our use of customer information   PMA's policy is to limit access to nonpublic personal information to those who need it in order to serve our own and our customers' insurance business needs, to administer claims and to maintain and improve customer service. We do not disclose nonpublic personal information to third parties except as necessary to conduct business, e.g., processing claims, or as permitted or required by law. In particular, we do not buy or sell nonpublic personal information, although we may acquire or transfer such information in connection with the acquisition or sale of companies or books of business.

Records retention   PMA retains the information it has collected for various periods established by the records retention policies of the Company.

Who has access to the information  Except as permitted or required by law, we will not disclose nonpublic personal information about a person without that person's consent. We may, without prior permission but only to the extent permitted by law, provide information contained in our records and files to certain persons or organizations which are fundamental to the insurance services we provide, such as:

Our customers, and their independent agents or brokers;
Our affiliated property and casualty insurance companies;
Independent claim adjusters, medical examiners, vocational counselors, attorneys or investigators, when appropriate;
Companies that provide insurance related services to or on the behalf of PMA, such as claim administration, medical review or treatment, and pharmacy network services;
Persons or organizations that conduct research for or on behalf of the insurance industry, including actuarial or underwriting studies;
Insurance support or rating organizations or, at our customers' request, other insurers; and
To appropriate entities as necessary to prevent fraud or to properly underwrite a risk.

Also, on some occasions, we may be required to share this information:

With state insurance departments or other governmental agencies, to the extent required by federal, state or local laws;
If ordered by a summons, court order, search warrant or subpoena; or
To protect our own legal interests, or in case of suspected fraud or other illegal activities.

Notification of changes This privacy policy statement may be modified from time to time. If we decide to change our privacy policy, we will post those changes on our website. You may wish to visit this page periodically to review the most recent policy statement.

Last modified on: 2/15/05