Important Privacy Notice

As a member of the NALC Health Benefit Plan, we feel it is important that you understand the Plan's privacy policies. The Privacy Rule of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) that went into effect April 14, 2003, established national standards to protect the privacy of individual's personal health care related information. We are committed to protecting the privacy of our members' information, and our privacy policy is based on the requirements of the HIPAA Privacy Rule. Our Notice of Privacy Practices is printed in the Plan brochure.

The Privacy Rule generally prohibits us, as your health plan, from discussing your personal information with anyone other than you or someone you have designated as your "Personal Representative." Medical providers and health plans must share health care related information for the purposes of treatment, payment and business operations. We will not disclose protected information of an enrollee or covered family member age 18 or older - net even to the person's spouse, parent, child or friend - unless we have on file a completed Personal Representative Authorization form.

Each family member age 18 or older that wishes to name a personal representative must complete a Personal Representative Authorization form. Be sure to sign and date the form in Section E, and return it to the Plan.

You are not required to complete a form, but if you are the enrollee or an adult family member covered by the Plan and we do not have the caller's name on file as your personal representative, we will not discuss your personal information, such as diagnoses and treatments, when someone calls on your behalf. You may want to name a personal representative even if you usually handle your own claims inquiries. That way, whether you call or a personal representative calls for you, we'll be able to help.