Nikkei Concerns

NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION.  PLEASE REVIEW CAREFULLY.

This Notice describes how we may use and disclose your Protected Health Information (PHI) to carry out treatment, payment or health care operations and for other purposes that are permitted or required by law.   It also describes your rights and our obligations regarding your PHI.  PHI is information about you, including demographic information, that may identify you and that relates to your past, present or future physical or mental health or condition and related health care services.

HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR PHI

The Health Information Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) allows a health care provider to use and disclose PHI, for the purposes of treatment, payment and health care operations, without your authorization.   Some examples of how we may use or disclose your PHI without your authorization is listed below:

Treatment

We will use and disclose your PHI in providing you with treatment and services.  Treatment refers to the provision and coordination of health care by a doctor, hospital or other health care provider involved in your health care or preventive health care.  We may disclose your PHI to facility and non-facility personnel who may be involved in your care such as Physicians, Nurses, Pharmacists, Dentists, Technicians, Therapists and other Specialists.  We also may disclose PHI to individuals who will be involved in your care after you leave the facility.

Payment

Your PHI will be used, as needed, to obtain payment for the health care services provided by Nikkei Concerns and to pay others who provide care to you.  Examples of uses and disclosures under this section include the sending of PHI to an external medical review company to determine the medical necessity of a treatment.  PHI may be shared with other insurers to determine coordination of benefits or subrogation claims.  PHI may also be shared in the billing, collection and payment of premiums and fees to plan vendors such as PPO Networks, UR companies, and Prescription Drug companies.

Health Care Operations

Health Care Operations refers to the basic business functions necessary to operate and support our business activities (as allowed by law).  For example, we may use your PHI to review and improve the care you receive, to provide training to staff, for consultants who provide legal, actuarial and auditing services, and for general data analysis used in the long term management and planning of the organization.

Other Uses and Disclosures Allowed Without Authorization

HIPAA also allows a health care provider to use and disclose PHI, without your authorization, for legal and/or governmental purposes in the following circumstances:

q       To you, as the covered individual.

q       To a personal representative designated by you to receive PHI or personal representative designate by law such as the parent or legal guardian of child, or the surviving family members or representative of the estate of a deceased individual.

q       To the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) or any employee of HHS as part of an investigation to determine our compliance with the HIPAA Privacy Rules.

q       To a Business Associate as part of a contracted agreement to perform services for the group health plan.

q       To an authorized public health authority to protect public health and safety, prevent or control disease, injury or disability, investigation or track problems with prescription drugs and medical devices by the Food and Drug Administration.

q       To government entities authorized to receive reports regarding abuse, neglect, or domestic violence.

q       To health oversight agencies for certain activities such as audits, investigations, inspections, and licensing.

q       In response to a court order, subpoena discovery request or other lawful judicial or administrative proceeding.

q       As required for law enforcement purposes.  For example to notify authorities of a criminal act.

q       As required to comply with Workers’ Compensation or other similar programs established by law.

q       To contact you for Nikkei Concerns’ fundraising purposes (we would only release information such as your name, address, phone number, and dates that you received services from us.)  You will be given the opportunity to instruct us not to contact you for this purpose.

q       To Coroners, Funeral Directors, and Organ Donation Organizations as authorized by law.

q       To avoid a serious threat to the health or safety of you and others.

q       To military command authorities if you are a member or veteran of the armed forces.

q       To authorized federal officials conducting national security and intelligence activities or special investigations.

USES AND DISCLOSURES OF PHI THAT REQUIRE AUTHORIZATION

Other uses and disclosures of your PHI will only be made upon written authorization.  You may revoke an authorization at any time by providing written notice to us that you wish to revoke an authorization.  We will honor a request to revoke as of the day it is received and to the extent that we have not already used or disclosed your PHI in good faith with the authorization.

YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR PHI

q       Right to Request Restrictions on Uses and Disclosures – You have the right to ask that we limit the way we use or disclose your PHI for treatment, payment and health care operations.  You may also ask that we limit the PHI we give to someone who is involved in your care such as a family member or friend.   Any such request must be made in writing to the HIPAA Compliance and Privacy Officer and must state the specific restriction requested and to whom that restriction would apply.  Please note that we are not required to agree to your request, if we do agree, we will honor your limits unless it is an emergency situation.

q       Right to Receive Confidential Communications – You have the right to request that communications involving PHI be provided to you at an alternative address.  We may ask that you make your request to us in writing and we will accommodate all reasonable requests.

q       Right to Access PHI – You have the right to inspect and copy your PHI that is contained in a designated record for as long as we maintain the PHI.  We may ask you to make this request in writing and we may charge a reasonable fee for the cost of producing and mailing the copies.  In certain situations we may deny your request and will tell you why we are denying it.  In some cases you may have the right to ask for a review of our denial.

q       Right to Amend PHI – You have the right to request an amendment in your PHI.  Your request must be in writing and provide the reason for your request.  In certain cases we may deny your request, in writing.  You may respond by filing a written statement of disagreement with us and ask that the statement be included with your PHI.

q       Right to Receive an Accounting of Disclosures – You have the right to receive an accounting of all disclosures of your PHI that we have made, if any, for reasons other than disclosures for treatment, payment and health care operations, as described above, and disclosures made to you or your personal representative.   Your right to an accounting of disclosures applies only to PHI created by the plan after April 14, 2003 and cannot exceed a period of six years prior to the date of your request.   Request for an accounting of disclosures of your PHI should be done in writing and should be directed to the HIPAA Compliance and Privacy Officer.

q       Right to Receive a Paper Copy of this Notice – You have the right to receive a paper copy of this Notice upon request.  Requests for a paper copy of this notice should be directed to the HIPAA Compliance and Privacy Officer.

CHANGES TO PRIVACY PRACTICES

Nikkei Concerns may change the terms of this Notice at any time.  The revised Notice would apply to all PHI that we maintain.  If we change any of the practices described in this Notice, we will post the revised Notice on web sites and at the Nikkei Concerns facilities and on our website.

QUESTIONS AND COMPLAINTS

If you have general questions about this Notice or would like an additional copy, please contact the HIPAA Compliance and Privacy Officer.  If you believe your privacy rights have been violated or you disagree with a decision we made about access to your PHI, you may file a complaint with the HIPAA Compliance and Privacy Officer, 1601 E Yesler Way, Seattle, WA 98122, (206) 726-6508.  You also may file a complaint with Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.  You will not be penalized if you file a complaint about our privacy practices with us or with Health and Human Services.