Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

By Jennifer Hadley

Effective April 14, 2003, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) mandates that an individual’s identifiable health information cannot be transmitted without a signed release from that person. HIPAA’s goal is to protect individuals from unauthorized disclosure of information and “discrimination.”

What is Protected Health Information?

Identifiable personal data, including:

• Demographic information
Anything relating to past, present or future physical or mental health or conditions
• Past, present or future payment for health care
• Provision of health care to an individual

Local 18’s Benefit Service Center (BSC), along with the Department’s Health Plans Office, must be in compliance with these new regulations. Before any personal information is released, the proper form must be completed and signed. Individual employees, not working for a covered entity like the BSC and the Health Plans Office are not authorized to distribute or receive release forms from other employees. Additionally, individual employees are not authorized to receive Protected Health Information.

If you receive a call (especially Shop Stewards), here is what you should do:

Let people know that, due to confidentiality regulations, any benefit/insurance-related questions need to be directed to either the BSC (for Local 18-sponsored plans) or the Health Plans Office (for DWP-sponsored plans).

• If an issue is not resolved with the BSC, members should contact Local 18.

• Any other benefit-related problems such as deductions and payroll, etc., can also be directed to Local 18 if they are not resolved

• General inquiries with respect to enrollment, eligibility and coverage can be addressed to Local 18, as well as the BSC.

 

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