HIPAA HIPAA - Notice of Privacy Practices

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​The Northampton County Department of Human Services provides a broad range of services through a wide variety of health and human services programs. If you receive services from a Northampton County Department of Human Services program, the program may use your protected health information and disclose it to other Northampton County Department of Human Services programs and with Business Associates outside the department or County who provide services on behalf of the department to:

1. plan for and provide your care and treatment
2. communicate with health care or other professionals who may be involved in your care
3. describe the care you receive
4. obtain reimbursement from private insurers or other government programs
5. verify that services billed were actually provided
6. educate health care or other professionals
7. inform public health officials charged with improving healthcare
8. administer the County’s programs which provide public benefits, and/or health or human services
9. assess and improve the services provided and the outcomes achieved
10. pay for services you receive
11. inform you about other public programs and services

The Northampton County Department of Human Services and its programs will not use or disclose your protected health information except as described in this notice, or otherwise authorized by law.

​In accordance with applicable Federal, State and Local statutes, you have the right to:

1. request a restriction on certain uses and disclosures of your protected health information obtain a paper copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices upon request
2. inspect and copy your protected health information in accordance with more stringent Federal, State & local regulations
3. request amendments to your protected health information
4. obtain an accounting of disclosures of your protected health information
5. request communications of your protected health information by alternative means or at an alternative address
6. revoke your consent to use or disclose protected health information to the extent that it has not already been relied upon
7. file a complaint to the Northampton County Department of Human Services if you believe your privacy rights have been violated. You may file a complaint by using provisions outlined in Section IV below.

​The Northampton County Department of Human Services’ programs have a duty to:

1. maintain the privacy of your protected health information
2. provide you with a notice as to our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to protected health information we collect and maintain about you
3. abide by the terms of this notice
4. notify you if we are unable to agree to a requested restriction
5. accommodate reasonable requests you may have to communicate health information by alternative means or at an alternative address
6. provide an accounting of disclosures of your protected health information

The Northampton County Department of Human Services may change its privacy practices and make the new privacy practices effective for all protected health information we maintain. Should our privacy practices change, we will make such a change available through our website www.Northamptoncounty.org (Human Services) or upon your next visitation, whichever may come first.

​If you have questions and would like additional information, you may contact the Northampton County Department of Human Services at: (610) 829-4700.

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with the Northampton County Department of Human Services Privacy Officer (610) 559-3010, or 877.932.6679 or with the Secretary of the United States Department of Health or Human Services at:
Region III, Office for Civil Rights
US Department of Health and Human Services
150 S. Independence Mall West
Suite 372, Public Ledger Building
Philadelphia, PA 19106-9111
Main Line (215) 861-4441, Hotline (800) 368-1019, Fax (215) 861-4431
TDD (215) 861-4440
www.exscribe.com/wecomply
There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint.

​Treatment: We will use your health information for treatment.
For example: We may use health information about you to provide you with medical treatment or services. We may disclose information about you to doctors, nurses, technicians, students, case managers, supervisors or other personnel who are involved in caring for you. Different departments also may share medical information about you in order to coordinate the different services you need like resource coordination, case management, emergency services, crisis intervention and others. We also may disclose medical information about you to people outside the Northampton County Department of Human Services who may be involved in your medical care, such as family members or others we use to provide services that are part of your care. Information obtained by a member of your healthcare team will be recorded in your record and used to determine the course of treatment that should work best for you.

Payment: We will use your health information for payment.
For example: We may use or disclose medical information about you so that the treatment and services you receive may be billed to and payment may be collected from you, an insurance company, or a third party. We will need to give your health plan information so the plan will pay us for the services you receive. We may also tell your health plan about a treatment you are going to receive to obtain prior approval or determine whether your plan will cover the treatment. The information on or accompanying a bill may include information that identifies you, as well as your diagnosis, procedures, and supplies used.

Health Care Operations: We will use your health information for regular health operations.
For example: We may use or disclose medical information about you for Northampton County Human Services operations. These uses and disclosures are necessary to operate and make sure that all of our consumers receive quality care. We may use medical information to review your treatment and services and to evaluate the performance of our staff in providing services for you. We may also disclose information to doctors, nurses, and other professional personnel for review purposes. Members of a quality assurance team may use information in your health record to assess the care and outcomes in your case and others like it. This information will then be used in an effort to continually improve the quality and effectiveness of the healthcare and service we provide.

​Business Associates: There are some services provided through contracts with business associates which may require access to your protected health information to continue providing a higher level of care. When these services are contracted, we may disclose your health information to our business associate so that they can perform the job we've asked them to do. However, we require the business associate to appropriately safeguard your information.

Research: We may disclose information to researchers when the information is de-identified or when their research has been approved by an institutional review board that has reviewed the research proposal and established protocols to ensure the privacy of your health information.

Organ procurement organizations: Consistent with applicable law, we may disclose health information to organ procurement organizations or other entities engaged in the procurement, banking, or transplantation of organs for the purpose of tissue donation and transplant.

Funeral Directors: We may disclose health information to funeral directors to carry out their duties, as required by law.

Public health: We may disclose your health information to public health or legal authorities charged with preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability.

Correctional institution: Should you be an inmate of a correctional institution, we may disclose to the institution or agents thereof any health information necessary for your health and the health and safety of other individuals, or for the administration of the institution.

Students/Interns: We may disclose health information to students/interns who are working under the departments’ supervision for the purpose of educational training.

Victims of Abuse/Neglect: We may disclose health information about you to notify the appropriate government authority if we know or suspect that you have been the victim of abuse or neglect.

Worker’s Compensation: If an employee is injured while providing care to you, we may release health information about you if it is pertinent to the case.
Law enforcement: We may disclose health information for law enforcement purposes.

National Security and Intelligence Activities: With respect to our Homeland Security Agency, if required, we may release medical information about you to the authorized federal officials for intelligence, counterintelligence, and other national security activities authorized by law.