Protecting your privacy
The Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association Ltd is committed to providing members with the highest levels of service, including the protection of members’ privacy.
Following is the information that the Privacy Act requires us to communicate to our members. It is recommended that you keep this information for future reference.
AACMA
AACMA provides a range of member and practice related services either directly or through partnerships with insurance, health fund, banking, and communications companies – for example the Yellow Pages Directory listings.
Your personal information
Personal information held by AACMA may include your name, date of birth, current and previous addresses, telephone/mobile phone numbers, e-mail address, educational qualifications, professional indemnity insurance policy details, and credit card details. If you choose not to provide such personal information (if required), AACMA may not be able to provide you with the services you require, or the level of service on which we pride ourselves. Other information which AACMA will collect and hold as a direct consequence of membership includes but is not limited to your AACMA membership number, join date, accredited modalities, certificates issued, first aid certificate details, and continuing education records.
How personal information is collected
AACMA collects personal information in a number of ways, including:
- directly from you, when you provide information in documents such as an application form or member profile form;
- from third parties such as our business partners (e.g. PI Direct Insurance Brokers);
- from publicly available sources of information (e.g. the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency);
- from the organisations identified below under ‘When we disclose your personal information’;
- from a complaint to the AACMA (note that complaints and any associated information is handled in line with our Code of Ethics and complaints handling procedures); or
- from our own records of how you use AACMA services.
How we use your personal information
Your personal information may be used by AACMA in order to:
- conduct appropriate checks for membership application purposes;
- provide the services you require;
- administer and manage those services, including charging, billing and collecting debts;
- inform you of ways the services provided to you could be improved;
- research and develop our services;
- gain an understanding of your needs in order for us to provide you with a better service;
- maintain and develop our business systems and infrastructure, including testing and upgrading of these systems; and
- for identification purposes.
Your personal information is also collected to promote and market other services which we consider may be of interest to you. If you do not wish us to contact you regarding other services please call 07 3324 2599 or email AACMA.
When we disclose your personal information
For the purposes set out above, AACMA may disclose your personal information to other organisations. The organisations to which AACMA may disclose information include:
- members of the public for practitioner referrals and listing on the AACMA website and AACMA member directories (such details being limited to name, clinic address, phone number and accredited modalities);
- various health funds for provider recognition;
- PI Direct for the provision of professional indemnity insurance;
- Financial institutions for the provision of banking services (in confirming an application made by the member for AACMA member services); and
- government and regulatory authorities and other organisations, as required or authorised by law.
In such cases the provision of information is on an individual member basis and restricted to that necessary to confirm AACMA financial membership, accreditation, etc. In some cases, group lists and/or collective information may be supplied, such as with health fund lists.
When we do not disclose your personal information
AACMA has a policy of not providing member lists to outside parties, other than health funds, unless the supply of that information has been directly or impliedly authorised (such as updating postal addresses or checking eligibility for renewal of professional indemnity insurance under the AACMA master policy or in relation to the ongoing provision of any other AACMA organised service).
When advertising material is forwarded to you it is done so via the national office. This is done as a means of generating revenue for use in the provision of member services.
Help us to ensure information held is correct
AACMA takes all reasonable precautions to ensure that the personal information it collects, uses and discloses is accurate, complete and up-to-date. However, the accuracy of that information depends to a large extent on the information you provide. AACMA therefore recommends that you:
- advise the national office of any errors in your personal information in writing;
- keep AACMA up to date with changes to personal information such as your name, address or clinic details; and
- check, make any necessary changes and return the Member Profile Update form that AACMA sends to you at least once per year.
You can access your personal information
You have a right to access your personal information, subject to some exceptions allowed by law. AACMA provides you with an opportunity each year to review the personal information that we hold on file for you by way of the Member Profile Update form.
Should you require further information, please contact the AACMA national office. For security reasons, such a request is required to be in writing.
AACMA reserves the right to charge a fee for searching for and providing access to your information. Should fees become payable for accessing personal information, details of the charges will be published in the AACMA newsletter.
If you have any questions in relation to privacy, please contact us on 07 3324 2599 between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday. Alternatively, you can write to the Membership Administrator, AACMA, PO Box 1635, COORPAROO DC QLD 4151.