Privacy of Protected Health Information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”)
A federal law, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, (“HIPAA”), requires the Welfare Fund to protect the confidentiality of your private health information. A complete description of your rights under HIPAA can be found in the Fund’s privacy notice, which was distributed to all members of the Fund prior to April 14, 2004 and is distributed to all new members upon enrollment, a copy of which is available from the Fund Administrator. A copy of the Fund’s privacy notice is also available online.
The Fund will not use or further disclose information that is protected by HIPAA (“protected health information”), except as necessary for treatment, payment, operations of the Fund, or as permitted or required by law. By law, the Fund has required all business associates to also observe HIPAA’s privacy rules. In particular, the Fund will not, without authorization, use or disclose protected health information for employment-related actions and decisions.
Under HIPAA, you have certain rights with respect to your protected health information, including certain rights to see and copy the information, receive an accounting of certain disclosures of the information, and under certain circumstances, amend the information. You also have the right to file a complaint with the Fund or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services if you believe your rights under HIPAA have been violated.