The Michigan Office of Retirement Services (ORS) administers various benefits provided to retirees of the Michigan Public School Employees' Retirement System and the State Employees' Retirement System (the “Plan”) which includes various benefits which constitute group health plans under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA"). Benefits are provided through various relationships with third parties that establish networks of providers, coordinate your care, and process claims for reimbursement for the services that you receive. This Notice of Privacy Practices (the “Notice”) describes the legal obligations of ORS, the Plan, and your legal rights regarding your protected health information held by the Plan under HIPAA. Among other things, this Notice describes how your protected health information may be used or disclosed to carry out treatment, payment, or healthcare operations, or for any other purposes that are permitted or required by law.
We are required to provide this Notice to you pursuant to HIPAA. The HIPAA Privacy Rule protects only certain medical information known as “protected health information.” Generally, protected health information is individually identifiable health information, including demographic information, collected from you or created or received by a healthcare provider, a healthcare clearinghouse, a health plan, or your employer on behalf of a group health plan, which relates to:
Contact Information
If you have any questions about this Notice or about our privacy practices, please contact ORS’ HIPAA privacy director:
Michigan Office of Retirement Services
Privacy Director
530 W. Allegan Street
Lansing, MI 48933
Effective Date
This Notice is effective Sept. 23, 2013.
Our Responsibilities
We are required by law to:
We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice and to make new provisions regarding your protected health information that we maintain, as allowed or required by law. If we make any material change to this Notice, we will provide you with a copy of our revised Notice of Privacy Practices. You may also obtain a copy of the latest revised Notice by contacting our privacy director at the contact information provided above, or at our website. Except as provided within this Notice, we may not disclose your protected health information without your prior authorization.
How We May Use and Disclose Your Protected Health Information
Under the law, we may use or disclose your protected health information under certain circumstances without your permission. The following categories describe the different ways that we may use and disclose your protected health information. For each category of uses or disclosures we will explain what we mean and present some examples. Not every use or disclosure in a category will be listed. However, all of the ways we are permitted to use and disclose protected health information will fall within one of the categories.
For Treatment
We may use or disclose your protected health information to facilitate medical treatment or services by providers. We may disclose medical information about you to providers, including doctors, nurses, technicians, medical students, or other hospital personnel who are involved in taking care of you. For example, we might disclose information about your prior prescriptions to a pharmacist to determine if a pending prescription is inappropriate or dangerous for you to use.
For Payment
We may use or disclose your protected health information to determine your eligibility for Plan benefits, to facilitate payment for the treatment and services you receive from healthcare providers, to determine benefit responsibility under the Plan, or to coordinate Plan coverage. For example, we may tell your healthcare provider about your medical history to determine whether a particular treatment is experimental, investigational, or medically necessary, or to determine whether the Plan will cover the treatment. We may also share your protected health information with a utilization review or pre-certification service provider. Likewise, we may share your protected health information with another entity to assist with the adjudication or subrogation of health claims or to another health plan to coordinate benefit payments.
For Healthcare Operations
We may use and disclose your protected health information for other Plan operations. These uses and disclosures are necessary to run the Plan. For example, we may use medical information in connection with conducting quality assessment and improvement activities; underwriting, premium rating, and other activities relating to Plan coverage; submitting claims for stop-loss (or excess-loss) coverage; conducting or arranging for medical review, legal services, audit services, and fraud and abuse detection programs; business planning and development such as cost management; and business management and general Plan administrative activities. The Plan is prohibited from using or disclosing protected health information that is genetic information about an individual for underwriting purposes.
To Business Associates
We may contract with individuals or entities known as Business Associates to perform various functions on our behalf or to provide certain types of services. In order to perform these functions or to provide these services, Business Associates will receive, create, maintain, use, and/or disclose your protected health information, but only after they agree in writing with us to implement appropriate safeguards regarding your protected health information. For example, we may disclose your protected health information to a Business Associate to administer claims or to provide support services, such as utilization management, pharmacy benefit management or subrogation, but only after the Business Associate enters into a Business Associate Agreement with us.
As Required by Law
We will disclose your protected health information when required to do so by federal, state, or local law. For example, we may disclose your protected health information when required by national security laws or public health disclosure laws.
To Avert a Serious Threat to Health or Safety
We may use and disclose your protected health information when necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health and safety, or the health and safety of the public or another person. Any disclosure, however, would only be to someone able to help prevent the threat. For example, we may disclose your protected health information in a proceeding regarding the licensure of a physician.
To Plan Sponsors
For the purpose of administering the Plan, we may disclose to certain employees of the Employer protected health information. However, those employees will only use or disclose that information as necessary to perform Plan administration functions or as otherwise required by HIPAA, unless you have authorized further disclosures. Your protected health information cannot be used for employment purposes without your specific authorization.
Special Situations
In addition to the above, the following categories describe other possible ways that we may use and disclose your protected health information. For each category of uses or disclosures, we will explain what we mean and present some examples. Not every use or disclosure in a category will be listed. However, all of the ways we are permitted to use and disclose information will fall within one of the categories.
Organ and Tissue Donation
If you are an organ donor, we may release your protected health information to organizations that handle organ procurement or organ, eye, or tissue transplantation or to an organ donation bank, as necessary to facilitate organ or tissue donation and transplantation.
Military and Veterans
If you are a member of the armed forces, we may release your protected health information as required by military command authorities. We may also release protected health information about foreign military personnel to the appropriate foreign military authority.
Workers’ Compensation
We may release your protected health information for workers’ compensation or similar programs. These programs provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness.
Public Health Risks
We may disclose your protected health information for public health actions. These actions generally include the following:
Health Oversight Activities
We may disclose your protected health information to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law. These oversight activities include, for example, audits, investigations, inspections, and licensure. These activities are necessary for the government to monitor the healthcare system, government programs, and compliance with civil rights laws.
Lawsuits and Disputes
If you are involved in a lawsuit or a dispute, we may disclose your protected health information in response to a court or administrative order. We may also disclose your protected health information in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute, but only if efforts have been made to tell you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the information requested.
Law Enforcement
We may disclose your protected health information if asked to do so by a law enforcement Director:
Coroners, Medical Examiners, and Funeral Directors
We may release protected health information to a coroner or medical examiner. This may be necessary, for example, to identify a deceased person or determine the cause of death. We may also release medical information about patients to funeral directors as necessary to carry out their duties.
National Security and Intelligence Activities
We may release your protected health information to authorized federal Directors for intelligence, counterintelligence, and other national security activities authorized by law.
Inmates
If you are an inmate of a correctional institution or are in the custody of a law enforcement Director, we may disclose your protected health information to the correctional institution or law enforcement Director if necessary (1) for the institution to provide you with healthcare; (2) to protect your health and safety or the health and safety of others; or (3) for the safety and security of the correctional institution.
Research
We may disclose your protected health information to researchers when:
Required Disclosures
The following is a description of disclosures of your protected health information we are required to make.
Government Audits
We are required to disclose your protected health information to the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services when the Secretary is investigating or determining our compliance with the HIPAA privacy rule.
Disclosures to You
When you request, we are required to disclose to you the portion of your protected health information that contains medical records, billing records, and any other records used to make decisions regarding your healthcare benefits. We are also required, when requested, to provide you with an accounting of most disclosures of your protected health information if the disclosure was for reasons other than for payment, treatment, or healthcare operations, and if the protected health information was not disclosed pursuant to your individual authorization.
Notification of a Breach
We are required to notify you in the event that we (or one of our Business Associates) discover a breach of your unsecured protected health information, as defined by HIPAA.
Other Disclosures
Personal Representatives
We will disclose your protected health information to individuals authorized by you, or to an individual designated as your personal representative, attorney-in-fact, etc., so long as you provide us with a written notice/authorization and any supporting documents (i.e., power of attorney). Note: Under the HIPAA privacy rule, we do not have to disclose information to a personal representative if we have a reasonable belief that:
Spouses and Other Family Members
With only limited exceptions, we will send all mail to the employee. This includes mail relating to the employee’s spouse and other family members who are covered under the Plan and includes mail with information on the use of Plan benefits by the employee’s spouse and other family members and information on the denial of any Plan benefits to the employee’s spouse and other family members. If a person covered under the Plan has requested Restrictions or Confidential Communications (see below under “Your Rights”), and if we have agreed to the request, we will send mail as provided by the request for Restrictions or Confidential Communications.
Authorizations
Other uses or disclosures of your protected health information not described above, including the use and disclosure of psychotherapy notes and the use or disclosure of protected health information for fundraising or marketing purposes, will not be made upon your written authorization. You may revoke written authorization at any time, so long as your revocation is in writing. Once we receive your written revocation, it will only be effective for future uses and disclosures. It will not be effective for any information that may have been used or disclosed in reliance upon the written authorization and prior to receiving your written revocation. You may elect to opt out of receiving fundraising communications from us at any time.
Your Rights
You have the following rights with respect to your protected health information:
Right to Inspect and Copy
You have the right to inspect and copy certain protected health information that may be used to make decisions about your healthcare benefits. To inspect and copy your protected health information, submit your request in writing to the Privacy Director at the address provided above under Contact Information. If you request a copy of the information, we may charge a reasonable fee for the costs of copying, mailing, or other supplies associated with your request. We may deny your request to inspect and copy in certain very limited circumstances. If you are denied access to your medical information, you may have a right to request that the denial be reviewed and you will be provided with details on how to do so.
Right to Amend
If you feel that the protected health information we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend the information. You have the right to request an amendment for as long as the information is kept by or for the Plan. To request an amendment, your request must be made in writing and submitted to the Privacy Director at the address provided above under Contact Information. In addition, you must provide a reason that supports your request. We may deny your request for an amendment if it is not in writing or does not include a reason to support the request. In addition, we may deny your request if you ask us to amend information that:
If we deny your request, you have the right to file a statement of disagreement with us and any future disclosures of the disputed information will include your statement.
Right to an Accounting of Disclosures
You have the right to request an “accounting” of certain disclosures of your protected health information. The accounting will not include (1) disclosures for purposes of treatment, payment, or healthcare operations; (2) disclosures made to you; (3) disclosures made pursuant to your authorization; (4) disclosures made to friends or family in your presence or because of an emergency; (5) disclosures for national security purposes; and (6) disclosures incidental to otherwise permissible disclosures. To request this list or accounting of disclosures, you must submit your request in writing to the Privacy Director at the address provided above under Contact Information. Your request must state a time period of not longer than six years and may not include dates prior to your request. Your request should indicate in what form you want the list (for example, paper or electronic). We will attempt to provide the accounting in the format you requested or in another mutually agreeable format if the requested format is not reasonably feasible. The first list you request within a 12-month period will be provided free of charge. For additional lists, we may charge you for the costs of providing the list. We will notify you of the cost involved and you may choose to withdraw or modify your request at that time before any costs are incurred.
Right to Request Restrictions
You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on your protected health information that we use or disclose for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. You also have the right to request a limit on your protected health information that we disclose to someone who is involved in your care or the payment for your care, such as a family member or friend. For example, you could ask that we not use or disclose information about a surgery that you had. We are not required to agree to your request. However, if we do agree to the request, we will honor the restriction until you revoke it or we notify you. To request restrictions, you must make your request in writing to the Privacy Director at the address provided above under Contact Information. In your request, you must tell us (1) what information you want to limit; (2) whether you want to limit our use, disclosure, or both; and (3) to whom you want the limits to apply-for example, disclosures to your spouse.
Right to Request Confidential Communications
You have the right to request that we communicate with you about medical matters in a certain way or at a certain location. For example, you can ask that we only contact you at work or by mail. To request confidential communications, you must make your request in writing to the Privacy Director at the address provided above under Contact Information. We will not ask you the reason for your request. Your request must specify how or where you wish to be contacted. We will accommodate all reasonable requests if you clearly provide information that the disclosure of all or part of your protected information could endanger you.
Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice
You have the right to a paper copy of this notice. You may ask us to give you a copy of this notice at any time. Even if you have agreed to receive this notice electronically, you are still entitled to a paper copy of this notice. To obtain a paper copy of this notice, telephone or write the Privacy Director as provided above under Contact Information.
Complaints
If you believe that your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with the Plan or with the Office for Civil Rights of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. To file a complaint with the Plan, write the Privacy Director as provided above under Contact Information. You will not be penalized, or in any other way retaliated against, for filing a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights or with us. You should keep a copy of any notices you send to the Plan Administrator or the Privacy Director for your records.
