Why did Unum send me a notice about its commitment to privacy (Privacy Notice)?
The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLB) and a variety of state laws require insurance companies, including Unum Group's insuring subsidiaries, to give a Privacy Notice to certain applicants and customers.

Back to top

What is the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act?
The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLB) is a federal law that concerns financial services industry reform for financial institutions. It includes a section (Title V) relating to consumer privacy. It is this section (Title V) that addresses the security and confidentiality of consumers' nonpublic personal financial information, including rules about how financial institutions may share that information. Insurance companies are considered financial institutions and must comply with GLB.

Back to top

When I receive a Privacy Notice, do I need to sign it and send it back to Unum?
No, you do not need to sign the notice or send it back to Unum. Our Privacy Notice is for your information only.

Back to top

What is nonpublic personal information (NPI)?
Nonpublic personal information (NPI) is personally identifiable information regarding a person's financial affairs or health. For example, financial information would include any information that may be found on a credit report. Health information would include information about a person's physical, mental or behavioral condition that might be found on a doctor's report used for underwriting or claims management.

Back to top

With whom is NPI shared?
Unum shares NPI as needed to service your insurance policy or as otherwise permitted or required by law. This could include sharing information with our affiliates (companies within the Unum family), which assists in providing rehabilitation services to claimants. Unum may also share information with contracted parties, such as producers, who help us service your policy.

Back to top

What is an insurance support organization?
An insurance support organization is an entity that regularly engages in the practice of assembling or collecting information about individuals for the primary purpose of providing the information to an insurance company. Consumer reporting agencies and the Medical Information Bureau (MIB) are insurance support organizations.

Back to top

May I request that Unum not share NPI about me with non-affiliated third parties (may I opt out)?
GLB requires insuring companies to give the opportunity to opt out of sharing nonpublic personal financial information in certain ways. For example, if a company shares nonpublic personal financial information about you with non-affiliated third parties for reasons that are unrelated to insurance functions or outside certain marketing exceptions, you may instruct them not to share (opt out).

Unum does not share NPI with non-affiliates for those purposes, and therefore there is not a need to opt out.

Back to top

May I request that Unum not share NPI about me with affiliates?
Under GLB, we are permitted to share nonpublic personal financial information with our affiliates without offering an opt out. Unum only shares NPI as needed to service your insurance policy or as otherwise permitted or required by law.

Back to top

What safeguards are taken to ensure that NPI is protected?
Unum has physical, electronic and procedural safeguards in place to protect NPI. For example, only authorized employees handle NPI in servicing policies. In addition, Unum uses industry standard electronic methods, such as firewalls, to safeguard the confidentiality of online information.

Back to top

How often will customers receive a Privacy Notice?
New group policyholders will receive an initial Privacy Notice when their policy is issued. Individual applicants and policyholders will receive an initial Privacy Notice with their application and/or when their policy is issued. Unum also sends a Privacy Notice to its group and individual policyholders annually.

Do group policyholders receive a Privacy Notice?
Unum issues its group policies to employers and other entities, such as associations. Unum provides its Privacy Notice to group policyholders, which means the employers and other entities receive the Privacy Notice. In most circumstances, the employees or other individuals covered under the group policies (insureds or certificate holders) do not receive a Privacy Notice. Group claimants in certain states, however, will receive a Privacy Notice as required by state law.

Back to top

If I am an employer with a group policy, may I share Unum's Privacy Notice with my employees who are insureds under the policy?
Certainly. We encourage you to share the Privacy Notice with your employees.

Back to top

How do I obtain a copy of Unum's Privacy Notice?

If you are an insured under a group policy, you may obtain the Privacy Notice by requesting a copy from your employer or the entity to which the group policy is issued. The Privacy Notice is also available on unum.com/privacy, or by writing to:

Back to top

Does Unum share nonpublic personal health information about me for marketing purposes?
No. Unum does not share health NPI about you to market any products or services to you.

Back to top

Does Unum share nonpublic personal financial information about me for marketing purposes?
Unum does not share financial NPI about you with companies that want to sell you products and services that are not related to insurance or other financial services. For example, we do not sell your name to catalog companies or telemarketers. We may share information with companies that help us market our own insurance products and services as allowed by GLB.

Back to top

What is the Fair Credit Reporting Act and why is it mentioned in Unum's Privacy Notice?
The Fair Credit Reporting Act is a federal law that has been in effect for years. Like GLB, it addresses the sharing of consumer information. GLB requires that we mention the Fair Credit Reporting Act in our Privacy Notice.

Back to top

What are examples of information that might not be directly related to my transaction or experience with Unum?
This could include your employment history, previous medical conditions or credit history and the information may come from outside sources. Information that is directly related to your transaction could include whether you have paid your premium, the benefits under your policy and information regarding your claim.

Back to top

The Privacy Notice says I may review information Unum has collected about me. How do I do that?
You may request to review information we collected when you applied for coverage by writing to:

Back to top

If I request copies of documents that contain information about me, the Privacy Notice says Unum may charge a copying fee. What is the fee?
Although we reserve the right to charge a reasonable fee, Unum does not currently charge any fee for copying costs associated with Privacy Notice access requests.

Back to top