Health oversight activities
Disclosures to health agencies for activities authorized by law (audits, inspections, investigations, or licensing actions) for oversight of the health care system, government benefits programs for which health information is relevant to beneficiary eligibility, and compliance with regulatory programs or civil rights laws Disclosures about individuals who are Armed Forces personnel or foreign military personnel under appropriate military command; disclosures to authorized federal officials for national security or intelligence activities; and disclosures to correctional facilities or custodial law enforcement officials about inmates Disclosures of your health information to the Department of Health and Human Services to investigate or determine the Plan’s compliance with the HIPAA privacy rule
Specialized government functions
HHS investigations
Except as described in this notice, other uses and disclosures will be made only with your written authorization. For example, in most cases, the Plan will obtain your authorization before it communicates with you about products or programs if the Plan is being paid to make those communications. If we keep psychotherapy notes in our records, we will obtain your authorization in some cases before we release those records. The Plan will never sell your health information unless you have authorized us to do so. You may revoke your authorization in writing at any time as allowed under the HIPAA rules. However, you can’t revoke your authorization with re spect to disclosures the Plan has already made. You will be notified of any unauthorized access, use, or disclosure of your unsecured health information as required by law.
The Plan will notify you if it becomes aware that there has been a loss of your health information in a manner that could compromise the privacy of your health information.
Your individual rights You have the following rights with respect to your health information the Plan maintains. These rights are subject to certain limitations, as discussed below. This section of the notice describes how you may exercise each individual right. See the table at the end of this notice for information on how to submit requests. Right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your he alth information and the Plan’s right to refuse You have the right to ask the Plan to restrict the use and disclosure of your health information for treatment, payment, or health care operations, except for uses or disclosures required by law. You have the right to ask the Plan to restrict the use and disclosure of your health information to family members, close friends, or other persons you identify as being involved in your care or payment for your care. You also have the right to ask the Plan to restrict use and disclosure of health information to notify those persons of your location, general condition, or death — or to coordinate those efforts with entities assisting in disaster relief efforts. If you want to exercise this right, your request to the Plan must be in writing. The Plan is not required to agree to a requested restriction. If the Plan does agree, a restriction may later be terminated by your written request, by agreement between you and the Plan (including an oral agreement), or unilaterally by the Plan for health information created or received after you’re notified that the Plan has removed the restrictions. The Plan may also disclose health information a bout you if you need emergency treatment, even if the Plan has agreed to a restriction.
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