Privacy protection: Vaccine Impact Assistance Program
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Privacy management
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) works with Government of Canada partners to deliver the Vaccine Impact Assistance Program (VIAP). Government of Canada institutions must protect your personal information. They must also respect your privacy rights under the Privacy Act and related laws and policies.
PHAC has overall responsibility for the VIAP. PHAC has an agreement with Employment and Social Development Canada/Service Canada (ESDC/SC) to help administer the VIAP. PHAC and ESDC/SC work together to receive, review and respond to VIAP claims, reassessments and appeals, and to respond to questions. ESDC/SC operates the VIAP contact centre and mailroom.
PHAC may receive limited information from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to calculate income support amounts. This only happens with claimants' consent.
Privacy notice
You will receive a privacy notice every time PHAC collects your personal information from you. The privacy notice that follows does not replace other VIAP privacy notices; it is an overview of PHAC's handling of personal information to administer the VIAP. It also tells you about your privacy rights.
Collection and use of personal information
PHAC collects your personal information under the authority of the Government of Canada's Department of Health Act, the Public Health Agency of Canada Act, and the Department of Employment and Social Development Act. Your personal information is protected by the provisions of the Privacy Act, and any other applicable laws governing the protection of your personal information by PHAC.
PHAC collects, uses and shares your personal information at different points in the claim process, and through different ways, for activities that relate directly to the VIAP. These can include:
- eligibility: to ensure that only individuals who are eligible receive financial support under the VIAP, which may include investigating potential fraud
- claims and appeals processing and verification: to process VIAP claims and appeals, while ensuring the accuracy and integrity of VIAP claims
- payments: to provide financial support(s) and reimbursement(s) for eligible expenses under the scope of the VIAP
- claims monitoring: to ensure that financial supports for claimants are modified as needed if the claimants' circumstances change
- contact centre and problem resolution: to respond to questions about the VIAP and resolve issues
- authentication: to ensure information is only shared with people who are allowed to see it
- training and quality assurance: to help ensure that case officers are responding to your calls with clear, consistent and accurate information
PHAC also collects personal information to enhance health research, legislation, policies, programs and services.
Disclosure of personal information
PHAC securely shares personal information that is necessary for the administration of the VIAP. In specific and limited cases, PHAC may lawfully disclose personal information to regulatory bodies or law enforcement agencies, such as in cases of suspected or confirmed fraud.
PHAC may share personal information with third parties under agreement with PHAC for specific purposes such as:
- determining eligibility and/or continued eligibility for financial support under the VIAP
- communications or other functions related to processing claims
PHAC will also share your personal information with ESDC/SC. PHAC may (with consent) share your personal information with the CRA, for the purpose of administering the VIAP.
Learn more:
Voluntary participation
Your participation in the VIAP is voluntary. If you do not provide the necessary personal information, you may not be able to receive financial support under the VIAP.
Your rights and how to contact us
You have the right to access and request a correction and/or notation to your personal information. PHAC describes VIAP personal information under its control in the VIAP personal information bank (PHAC PPU 318). PHAC aims to update the Info Source: Sources of Federal Government and Employee Information Public Health Agency of Canada web page with this information. ESDC/SC also aims to publish the VIAP personal information bank on their website.
For privacy-related questions, you may contact the VIAP at 1-833-489-0839.
Contact the Vaccine Impact Assistance Program
If have you been unable to resolve a privacy issue with us, you may file a formal complaint with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada about how we have handled your personal information.
Privacy notices may be updated periodically at PHAC's and ESDC/SC's discretion if there are changes to the VIAP, such as because of legislation or policy changes.
Learn more:
- Personal information bank: Glossary
- Info Source: Sources of Federal Government and Employee Information Public Health Agency of Canada
Vaccine Impact Assistance Program: Claim intake privacy notice
Privacy notice
The Vaccine Impact Assistance Program (VIAP) is administered by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) with the support of Service Canada, which is part of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), under agreement with PHAC.
PHAC is committed to protecting your information during administration of the VIAP. This notice explains how and why your personal information may be collected, used and shared. It also outlines PHAC's and Service Canada's obligations with respect to your personal information and your rights with respect to your personal information.
Authorities
The collection of your personal information is authorized by section 4 of the Department of Health Act, section 3 of the Public Health Agency of Canada Act, and subsection 34.1(1) of the Department of Employment and Social Development Act. The collection, use, disclosure, retention and disposal of your personal information are governed by the Privacy Act and any other applicable laws governing the protection of your personal information by PHAC.
Purpose of collection
PHAC collects your personal information to determine your eligibility and/or continued eligibility for financial support under the VIAP. Your personal information may be collected, used, and/or disclosed at any stage of the claim process including for processing, monitoring, or appeal. PHAC also collects personal information to enhance health research, legislation, policies, programs and services.
Using and sharing your information
Your personal information will be used and disclosed in accordance with the Privacy Act. PHAC will share your personal information with Service Canada; Service Canada processes VIAP claims and appeals and provides review-related services under agreement with PHAC.
Your personal information may be shared with any third party under agreement with PHAC for the express purpose of determining your eligibility and/or continued eligibility for financial support under the VIAP, as well as for any communications or other functions pertaining to claim intake processing.
PHAC and Service Canada may use or share the information you provide for policy analysis, research, monitoring and/or evaluation activities consistent with their departmental mandates. This will not impact your eligibility for financial support.
In specific and limited cases, PHAC may use personal information to investigate potential fraud. PHAC may lawfully disclose personal information to regulatory bodies or law enforcement agencies, such as in cases of suspected or confirmed fraud.
Refusal to provide requested information
If you choose not to provide some or all of the personal information that is identified as required, PHAC and Service Canada may be unable to process your claim, or the processing of your claim may be delayed. As a result, you may be unable to receive financial support under the VIAP.
Your rights and how to contact us
You have the right to access and request a correction and/or notation to your personal information. For privacy-related questions, you may contact the VIAP at 1-833-489-0839.
If you have been unable to resolve a privacy issue with us, you may file a formal complaint with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada about how PHAC has handled your personal information.
For more information, call 1-800-282-1376.
More information
The collection of your personal information is described on the Info Source: Sources of Federal Government and Employee Information Public Health Agency of Canada web page. PHAC aims to update this page with the VIAP personal information bank (PHAC PPU 318). ESDC/SC also aims to publish the VIAP personal information bank under the same title on their website.
Changes to this notice
This privacy notice may be updated periodically at PHAC's and ESDC's discretion to reflect legislative, policy, or program changes.
Learn more:
Additional privacy information
This section provides links to additional Government of Canada privacy information related to the VIAP.
Personal information banks
Government of Canada institutions describe personal information under their control, and that they use to administer the VIAP, in personal information bank (PIB) descriptions. PHAC and ESDC/SC aim to update their websites with the VIAP PIBs.
Learn more:
- Personal information bank: Glossary
- Info Source: Sources of Federal Government and Employee Information Public Health Agency of Canada
Privacy impact assessment summaries
Government of Canada institutions publish summaries of completed privacy impact assessments (PIAs). These PIAs help identify, assess and mitigate privacy risks related to programs and activities, such as the VIAP. ESDC/SC aims to publish the VIAP PIA summary on their website.
Learn more:
- Privacy impact assessment: Glossary
- Privacy impact assessment: Vaccine Impact Assessment Program (VIAP)
Information-sharing arrangements and disclosure summaries
Government of Canada institutions publish information-sharing arrangements/agreements and disclosure summaries for personal information under their control. PHAC aims to publish the Memorandum of Understanding Between the Canada Revenue Agency and the Public Health Agency of Canada on their website. ESDC/SC aims to publish the VIAP information-sharing arrangement summary on their website.
Learn more:
- Information-sharing arrangement: Glossary
- Personal Information Sharing Agreements: Public Health Agency of Canada
- Information sharing agreements: Employment and Social Development Canada
- Information Sharing Arrangement Between Employment and Social Development Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada
Glossary
Disclosure (of personal information)
The release of personal information by any method (for example, transmission, provision of a copy, examination of a record) to any body or person.
Information-sharing arrangement
A written record of understanding that outlines the terms and conditions under which personal information is disclosed between parties. An information-sharing arrangement is usually employed to facilitate the disclosure of personal information between and within federal institutions. An information-sharing arrangement is not legally binding.
Personal information bank
A description of personal information that is organized or intended to be retrieved by a person's name or by an identifying number, symbol or other particular assigned only to that person. The personal information described in the personal information bank has been used, is being used or is available for an administrative purpose and is under the control of a government institution.
Privacy impact assessment
A process prescribed in policy for identifying, assessing and mitigating privacy risks. Government institutions are to develop and maintain privacy impact assessments for all new or modified programs and activities that involve the use of personal information for an administrative purpose.
Privacy notice
A verbal or written notice informing an individual of the purpose of collecting their personal information as well as the government institution's legal authority for the collection. The notice, which must reference the personal information bank described in Info Source, also informs the individual of how their personal information will be used and disclosed, their right to access and request the correction of the personal information, any consequences of refusing to provide the information requested, and their right to file a complaint to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.