The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) is a federal law that protects the privacy of your health information. HIPAA regulations govern the use and release of your protected health information under certain circumstances. HIPAA also limits the kind and amount of patient information that certain health care providers and health plans can disclose.
The “covered entities,” which are those entities subject to HIPAA, include certain health care providers and health plans. All covered entities must have policies and procedures to safeguard your protected health information.
HIPAA regulations apply to your protected health information maintained by your health care providers that are covered entities. HIPAA regulations may not cover every organization that has your protected health information. For example, employers, schools, state agencies and law enforcement agencies may not be covered by HIPAA even if they have your protected health information.
HIPAA regulations allow covered entities to share your protected health information for certain purposes. Covered entities can generally share your protected health information for your treatment, billing purposes and other limited purposes without your permission.
Your protected health information should only be shared with those who really need it or who are legally entitled to it. When your protected health information is disclosed, it should be limited to the amount of information necessary for the purpose of the disclosure.
HIPAA is a federal law that protects the privacy of your health information. HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. Under HIPAA, your health information generally cannot be shared unnecessarily.
PHI means protected health information. Protected health information is certain individually identifiable health information related to an individual’s physical or mental health condition.
In general, the Funds may not disclose your protected health information to your spouse, family members, friends or others, unless you sign a HIPAA Authorization Form permitting us to do so or the individual receiving your protected health information is your personal representative under HIPAA. When you sign a HIPAA Authorization Form, you are telling the Funds to whom we may release your protected health information. You are not required to complete this form or to authorize others to access your protected health information.
Just send a written request to the UMWA Health & Retirement Funds stating your intent to cancel the HIPAA Authorization Form. Your cancellation will not apply to uses or disclosures of your protected health information that the Funds may have already made in reliance on your HIPAA Authorization Form.
Yes, if your power of attorney does not have authority to act on your behalf in making decisions related to your health care or if you want the Funds to share or discuss your protected health information with someone other than your power of attorney.
A business associate is a person or entity who performs certain functions or activities on behalf of a covered entity involving the use or disclosure of protected health information. Business associates are subject to many of the requirements to safeguard your protected health information under HIPAA.
