Effective Date: February 8, 2018

Welcome! You have arrived at an online service location (e.g., web site or application) that is owned and operated by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association ("BCBSA" or "we," "our" or "us"). This "Cookie Policy" governs your use of any online service location (e.g., web site or application) that posts a link to this Privacy Policy, and also applies to your use of interactive features, widgets, plug-ins, applications, content, downloads and/or other services (collectively, the "Service") that: (i) we own and control and make available through an online service; or (ii) that posts a link to this Privacy Policy, regardless of how you access or use the Service, whether via personal computers, mobile devices or otherwise. Your submission of information on these Services are subject to our Privacy Policy (available at https://www.bcbs.com/privacy-policy), which is hereby incorporated into this Cookie Policy.

PLEASE READ THIS COOKIE STATEMENT CAREFULLY BEFORE USING OR OBTAINING ANY MATERIALS, INFORMATION, PRODUCTS OR SERVICES THROUGH THE SERVICES. BY ACCESSING THE SERVICES, YOU AGREE TO ACCEPT, WITHOUT LIMITATION OR QUALIFICATION, THIS COOKIE STATEMENT. We reserve the right to change, update, or correct any of this Cookie Statement or any information contained in the Services at any time without notice by posting an amended statement to the Services. Your continued use of the Services means that you accept and agree to the revised Cookie Statement. If you do not accept this Cookie Statement (as amended from time to time), please exit the Services immediately.

When you visit the Service, we may place a temporary "session" or a permanent cookie on your computer that will allow us to customize and enhance your experience at the Service, make improvements to our Service, or to report Service activity. We store cookie information to aggregate form and use the aggregate information only to make improvements to the Service or in internal reports on Service activity. You may use your browser controls to refuse to allow cookies to be placed on your computer. Refusing cookies disables our ability to include information about your visit in our regular monitoring of Service traffic.

What is a Cookie?

A cookie is a text file that contains small amounts of information that are downloaded to your computer or mobile device when you visit a web site. A cookie is then sent back to the originating web site on each subsequent visit or to another web site that recognizes that cookie. Cookies are useful because they allow a web site to recognize a user’s device. You can find more information about cookies at: www.allaboutcookies.org.

Cookies on the Services

On the Services, cookies do several different jobs. They let you navigate between pages efficiently, remember your preferences, and generally improve your experience on the Services. They can also help to ensure that advertisements that you see online are more relevant to you and your interests.

The cookies used on these Services can be categorized in four ways: (1) cookies that are strictly necessary; (2) cookies that assist with the performance of the Services; (3) cookies that record functionality requests; and (4) targeting cookies. Each of these is further explained below.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are essential in order to enable you to move around the Services and use its features, such as accessing secure areas of the Services. Without these cookies, services that you have requested, such as inquiring about healthcare information, cannot be provided. These cookies do not gather information about you that could be used for marketing purposes. By using these Services, you agree that we may place these types of cookies on your device.

Performance Cookies

These cookies collect information about how you use these Services. For example, they may collect information on which pages you visit most often or if you received an error message from one of the pages on this Services. These cookies do not directly collect information that identifies you. When you provide information that identifies yourself, we may use these cookies to provide relevant information on the Services based on information that you have provided and your activities on the Services. By using these Services, you agree that we may place these types of cookies on your device.

Functionality Cookies

These cookies allow the Services to remember the choices that you make, such as your user name, language preference, or the region that you are in. The Services then uses that information to provide enhanced features. These cookies can also be used to remember changes that you have made to text size, font, and other parts of the Services that you can customize. While the information collected by these cookies is anonymous, these cookies may be able to identify you when combined with other data because they track certain ISP information for your settings. They do not gather any information about you that could be used for advertising or remembering where you have been on the Internet. When you choose to make changes to options or settings on the Services, you agree that BCBSA may place functionality cookies on your device. By using these Services, you agree that we may place these types of cookies on your device.

Targeting Cookies

 These cookies collect several pieces of information about your browsing habits. They are usually placed by advertising networks such as, but not limited to, Google, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or DoubleClick. They remember that you have visited these Services and share this information with other organizations, such as advertisers. They do this in order to provide you with targeted advertisements that are more relevant to you and your interests. Although these cookies can track your visits to sites on the Internet, the cookies themselves do not usually know who you are. Without these cookies, online advertisements that you encounter will be less relevant to you and your interests. By using these Services, you agree that we may place these types of cookies on your device.

How to Restrict or Block Cookies?

You can adjust the settings in your browser in order to restrict or block cookies that are set by the Services (or any other site on the Internet). Your browser may include information on how to adjust your settings.

Alternatively, you may visit www.allaboutcookies.org to obtain comprehensive general information about cookies and how to adjust the cookie settings on various browsers. This site also explains how to delete cookies from your computer.

Please be aware that restricting cookies may impact the functionality of the Services.

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is an association of 35 independent, locally operated Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield companies.