Northeast Data’s Obligations

NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

This Notice is effective 07/01/2021

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAYBE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION

PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY

Northeast Data is required by law to protect the privacy of medical information about you and or identifies you. This medical information maybe information about healthcare we provide to you or payment for health care provided to you. It may also be information about your past, present, or future medical condition.

Northeast Data is also required by law to provide you with this Notice of Privacy Practices explaining our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to medical information. We are legally required to follow the terms of this Notice. In other words, we are only allowed to use and disclose medical information in the manner that we have described in this notice.

Northeast Data may change the terms of this Notice in the future. We reserve the right to make changes and to make the new Notice effective for all medical information that we maintain. If we make changes to the Notice, we will

• Post the new Notice in our break room
• Have copies of the new Notice available upon request
• Include all new Notices in the Handbook online
• Email a copy of the new Notice when it changes
• Be provided a copy of the new Notice prior to checking into any health care requests as you have asked for

The rest of this Notice will:

• Discuss how we may use and disclose medical information about you.
• Explain your rights with respect o medical information about you
• Describe how and where you may file a privacy-related complaint.

If, at any time, you have questions about information in this Notice or about our privacy policies, procedures, or practices, you can contact our Privacy Officer at 570-996-6666 x 107

Uses and Disclosures of Your Health Information

There are a number of purposes for which it maybe necessary for Northeast Data to use or disclose your health information. For some of these purposes we are required to obtain your consent. In other specific instances, we may be required to obtain your individual authorization. A limited number of circumstances, we will be authorized by the Law to disclose your health information without your consent or authorization. The following is a description of these uses and disclosures.

We ask for all employee(s) to use the toll free number on the back of the health insurance cards to assist with claims / deductibles / HRA questions.

Northeast Data does however realize that there are times an employee may need additional help. In order to help, you must consent to allowing our office to help you and understand that all information shared with us will be held in strict confidence.

We do ask if you share any health information with Northeast Data that you keep it on a need to know basis. If you give us an authorization, you may revoke it in writing at any time. Your revocation will not affect any uses or disclosure permitted by your authorization while it was in effect.

• During Annual Health Care Renewals - Northeast Data might disclose an employee's health care concerns if aware but will not provide employee names of conditions being report to acquire an annual health care quote.
• When employee asks for Northeast Data to help with a bill or has a HRA question - Northeast Data may help with some directions on health care billing but due to HIPPA laws, your case and question will be forwarded to our company broker to assist. Please follow all directions in any email you receive from our Operations Group carefully. Northeast Data may ask you to block out certain information on a bill prior to sending the bill to our attention. This is to alleviate violating any HIPPA law.
• When an employee asks about benefits or coverage of the company provided health care - Northeast Data may be able to respond to certain health care coverage question but it is highly preferred and recommended that you contact the Blues on Call toll free number on the back of your health insurance card.
• Enzyme Testing for employees on certain sites ie Alexandria, Lima, and St. Louis.
• Drug Testing of all employees
• Covid results if a site requests them in order for you to gain access to the site.
• Hepatitis B results if you were exposed to Hepatitis B.
• Hearing test if you have been exposed to a an area with high db and we are required to provide a hearing test for you to continue employment.

To avoid violations of the HIPPA laws, Northeast Data deeply discourages employees to discuss their medical conditions with the company unless there is a need to know basis. An example of a need to know basis would be the employee is hurt and needs to enroll into a disability claim or needs a special work accommodation, or employee is taking medication that may make them unsafe at work.

Uses and Disclosures Authorized By Law

• Required by Law - Northeast Data will disclose your health information when such disclosure is required by federal, state or local laws.
• Necessary for public health activities - For example, when reporting to public health authorities the exposure to certain communicable diseases or risks of contracting or spreading a disease or condition.
• For judicial and administrative proceedings - For example, when responding to a request for health information contained in a court order.
• For law enforcement purposes - For example, when complying with laws that require the reporting of certain types of wounds or injuries.
• To a Coroner of Medical Examiner - To allow them to carry out their duties.
• To avert a serious threat to health or safety - For example, when disclosing health information that will help prevent a serious threat to the health or safety of you or another person of the public.
• Related to Workers' Compensation - For example, when reporting health information to entities that provide benefits for work-related injuries and illness.

Your Individual Rights

• Right to access and copy your health information
  • We ask that your request be made in writing. There might be limited situations in which we may obtain and keep a copy of health information related to you such as when we are looking in to a health care bill or HRA request by which you requested.
  • It is Northeast Data's policy to destroy these upon completion of looking into the request and an answer has been provided.
  • If any health information has to do with law / public health activities / law enforcement purposes / or to avert a serious threat to health or safety the documents will only be held in possession until they are no longer needed.

• Right to request an amendment of your health information
  • You have the right to request amendments to the health information about you that we maintain and used to make decisions about you. We ask that your request be made in writing and must explain, in as much detail as possible, your reason(s) for the amendment and, when appropriate, provide supporting documentation. Under limited circumstances we may deny your request. If we deny your request, we will respond to you in writing stating the reasons for the denial. You may file a statement of disagreement with us. You may also ask that any future disclosures of the health information under dispute include your requested amendment and our denial to your request.

• Right to request restrictions on Use and Disclosures of your health information.
  • You have the right to request that we restrict our use or disclosure of your health information. We ask that your request be made in writing. We are not required to agree to your request for a restriction, and we will notify you of our decision. However, if we do agree, we will comply with our agreement, unless there is an emergency or we are otherwise required to use or disclose the information.

• Right to request confidential communication
  • Periodically, we will contact you by phone, email, mail, or other means. You have the right to request that we communicate with you in a specific way. For example, you may request that we contact you at your work address or phone number or by email. We ask that your request be made in writing. While we are not required to agree with your request, we will make efforts to accommodate reasonable requests.

• Right to receive a copy of this notice
  • You have the right to request and receive a paper copy of this Notice at any time. We will make this Notice available in electronic form and post it on our employee portal.

If you have any questions about these rights or to exercise any of them please contact our Privacy Office listed below.

QUESTIONS OR COMPLAINTS

If you want more information about our privacy practices or have questions or concerns, please contact our Privacy Office. If you are concerned that your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with our Privacy Office. You may also submit a written complaint to the US Department of Health and Human Services. We will provide you with the address to file your complaint with the US Department of Health and Human Services upon request. We support your right to the privacy of your health information. We will not retaliate in any way if you choose to file a complaint with us or with the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Privacy Office Contact Information:

Address                Northeast Data, Inc. 23 Hollow Crest Road, Tunkhannock, PA  18657

                            Tel:  570-996-6666      Fax: 570-996-6670